# witch

> English word · Noun · IPA /wɪt͡ʃ/ · frequency rank #6,019

## Definitions
1. A person (now usually particularly a woman) who uses magical or similar supernatural powers to influence or predict events.
2. A woman who follows Wicca or similar New Age pagan beliefs.
3. An ugly or unpleasant woman.
4. One who exercises more-than-common power of attraction; a charming or bewitching person.
5. One given to mischief, especially a woman or child.
6. A certain curve of the third order, described by Maria Agnesi under the name versiera.
7. A storm petrel.
8. Any of a number of flatfish of species:
9. Any of a number of flatfish of species:
10. Any of a number of flatfish of species:
11. An Indomalayan butterfly, of Araotes lapithis, of the family Lycaenidae.

## Etymology
The noun is from Middle English wicche, from Old English wiċċe (“witch (female), sorceress”) and wiċċa (“witch (male), sorcerer, warlock”), deverbative from wiċċian (“to practice sorcery”), from Proto-Germanic *wikkōną (compare West Frisian wikje, wikke (“to foretell, warn”), German Low German wicken (“to soothsay”), Dutch wikken, wichelen (“to dowse, divine”)), from Proto-Indo-European *wik-néh₂-, derivation of *weyk- (“to consecrate; separate”); akin to Latin victima (“sacrificial victim”), Lithuanian viẽkas (“life-force”), Sanskrit विनक्ति (vinákti, “to set apart, separate out”). Possibly related to wicked; see that entry for more. The verb derives from the noun.

## Easily confused with
- **WTH** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/witch-vs-wth)
- **WTC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/witch-vs-wtc)
- **with** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/witch-vs-with)
- **wits** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/witch-vs-wits)
- **Witt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/witch-vs-witt)
- **witty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/witch-vs-witty)
- **wretch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/witch-vs-wretch)
- **witcher** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/witch-vs-witcher)
- **wit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wit-vs-witch)
- **WIC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wic-vs-witch)
- **wish** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wish-vs-witch)
- **wick** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wick-vs-witch)
- **wich** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wich-vs-witch)
- **which** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/which-vs-witch)
- **watch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/watch-vs-witch)
- **width** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/width-vs-witch)
- **welch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/welch-vs-witch)
- **winch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/winch-vs-witch)
- **wench** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wench-vs-witch)
- **wince** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wince-vs-witch)

## Common misspellings (8)
`iwtch`, `wicth`, `witcch`, `witchh`, `withc`, `wittch`, `wtich`, `wwitch`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/witch