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

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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

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