Familiar spirit
1Familiar spirit — Familiar Fa*mil iar, a. [OE. familer, familier, F. familier, fr. L. familiaris, fr. familia family. See {Family}.] 1. Of or pertaining to a family; domestic. Familiar feuds. Byron. Syn: familial. [1913 Webster] 2. Closely acquainted or intimate,… …
2familiar spirit — n. FAMILIAR (n. 2) …
3Familiar spirit — In early modern English superstition, a familiar spirit, imp, or familiar (from Middle English familiar , related to family) is an animal shaped spirit who serves for witchery, a demon, or other magician related subjects. Familiars were imagined… …
4familiar spirit — noun a spirit (usually in animal form) that acts as an assistant to a witch or wizard • Syn: ↑familiar • Hypernyms: ↑spirit, ↑disembodied spirit * * * noun 1. : a supernatural often malignant spirit in the service of an individual …
5Familiar spirit — Sorcerers or necormancers, who professed to call up the dead to answer questions, were said to have a familiar spirit (Deut. 18:11; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chr. 33:6; Lev. 19:31; 20:6; Isa. 8:19; 29:4). Such a person was called by the Hebrews an ob,… …
6familiar spirit — a supernatural spirit or demon supposed to attend on or serve a person. Also called familiar. [1555 65] * * * …
7familiar spirit — noun Date: 1565 1. a spirit or demon that serves or prompts an individual 2. the spirit of a dead person invoked by a medium to advise or prophesy …
8familiar spirit — famil′iar spir′it n. myt familiar 9) • Etymology: 1555–65 …
9familiar spirit — /fəmɪljə ˈspɪrət/ (say fuhmilyuh spiruht) noun a supernatural spirit or demon supposed to attend on or serve a person …
10Pyewacket (familiar spirit) — Pyewacket was one of the familiar spirits of a witch detected by the witchfinder general Matthew Hopkins in March 1644 in the town of Manningtree, Essex, England. Hopkins claimed he spied on the witches as they held their meeting close by his… …
