WITCHINGLY
Etymology
Adverb
witchingly (comparative more witchingly, superlative most witchingly)
(poetic) So as to bewitch or enchant.
And his voice, although mournfully solemn,
Was tender and witchingly sweet.
Source: Wiktionary
WITCHING
Witch"ing, a.
Definition: That witches or enchants; suited to enchantment or witchcraft;
bewitching. "The very witching time of night." Shak.
– Witch"ing*ly, adv.
WITCH
Witch, n. Etym: [Cf. Wick of a lamp.]
Definition: A cone of paper which is placed in a vessel of lard or other
fat, and used as a taper. [Prov. Eng.]
Witch, n. Etym: [OE. wicche, AS. wicce, fem., wicca, masc.; perhaps
the same word as AS. witiga, witga, a soothsayer (cf. Wiseacre); cf.
Fries. wikke, a witch, LG. wikken to predict, Icel. vitki a wizard,
vitka to bewitch.]
1. One who practices the black art, or magic; one regarded as
possessing supernatural or magical power by compact with an evil
spirit, esp. with the Devil; a sorcerer or sorceress; -- now applied
chiefly or only to women, but formerly used of men as well.
There was a man in that city whose name was Simon, a witch. Wyclif
(Acts viii. 9).
He can not abide the old woman of Brentford; he swears she's a witch.
Shak.
2. An ugly old woman; a hag. Shak.
3. One who exercises more than common power of attraction; a charming
or bewitching person; also, one given to mischief; -- said especially
of a woman or child. [Colloq.]
4. (Geom.)
Definition: A certain curve of the third order, described by Maria Agnesi
under the name versiera.
5. (Zoöl.)
Definition: The stormy petrel. Witch balls, a name applied to the
interwoven rolling masses of the stems of herbs, which are driven by
the winds over the steppes of Tartary. Cf. Tumbleweed. Maunder
(Treas. of Bot.) -- Witches' besoms (Bot.), tufted and distorted
branches of the silver fir, caused by the attack of some fungus.
Maunder (Treas. of Bot.) -- Witches' butter (Bot.), a name of several
gelatinous cryptogamous plants, as Nostoc commune, and Exidia
glandulosa. See Nostoc.
– Witch grass (Bot.), a kind of grass (Panicum capillare) with
minute spikelets on long, slender pedicels forming a light, open
panicle.
– Witch meal (Bot.), vegetable sulphur. See under Vegetable.
Witch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Witched; p. pr. & vb. n. Witching.] Etym:
[AS. wiccian.]
Definition: To bewitch; to fascinate; to enchant.
[I 'll] witch sweet ladies with my words and looks. Shak.
Whether within us or without The spell of this illusion be That
witches us to hear and see. Lowell.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition