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voodoo

noun, verb — 5 senses

voodoo

noun

UK /ˈvuːduː/ · US /ˈvudu/

Etymology

Etymology tree Fon voduder. Haitian Creole Vodouder. Louisiana Creole voudoubor. English voodoo From Louisiana Creole voudou, from Haitian Creole Vodou, from a West African language, such as Ewe vódũ (“deity, idol”), Fon vòdún (“fetish”) or the Kwa languages vodũ.

1

Any of a group of related religious practices found chiefly in and around the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti and Louisiana.

  • Years later, she had found out about the Voodoo drink - a concoction of rum, gunpowder, grave-dirt and human blood. She almost retched as the taste came back to her mouth.1954, Ian Fleming, “Allumeuse”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 109:
  • You cannot understand Haitian Vodou as it is practised today without first knowing something about the culture from which it sprang, and the ways history has shaped religion, and vice versa.2007, Kevin Filan, The Haitian Vodou Handbook, Destiny Books, page 13:
2

The spiritual beliefs of the Ewe/Fon of West Africa, practiced chiefly in Benin and in the south of Togo.

3

Derogatory Any sort of magical or irrational approach to a problem.

  • I want a real explanation, not this statistical voodoo.
4

Dated One who practices voodoo; a native sorcerer.

  • So a reporter of the Boston Herald (U.S.) has 'interviewed' a few local Voodoos. He has seen a dance round a boiling pot, seen some tomfoolery with spiders, and heard a lot of superstitious stories.1889, Longman's Magazine, volume 14, page 557:
Synonyms
voodooism
Derived terms
voodoo death, voodoo doll, voodoo economics, voodooism, voodooist, voodoo mode, voodoo programming, voodoo science

voodoo

verb
Etymology

Etymology tree Fon voduder. Haitian Creole Vodouder. Louisiana Creole voudoubor. English voodoo From Louisiana Creole voudou, from Haitian Creole Vodou, from a West African language, such as Ewe vódũ (“deity, idol”), Fon vòdún (“fetish”) or the Kwa languages vodũ.

1

To bewitch someone or something using voodoo

  • He claimed his neighbor had voodooed him.
Related terms
hoodoo

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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