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.) A certain curve of the third order, described by
Maria Agnesi under the name versiera.
5. (Zo["o]l.) 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}.
[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.