Witch, n. [OE. wicche, AS. wicce, fem., wicca, masc.; perhaps the same word as AS. wītiga, wītga, 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.
4. (Geom.) A certain curve of the third order, described by Maria Agnesi under the name versiera.
5. (Zoöl.) 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.