ˈwitch-ˌfinder
One formerly employed to search for and obtain evidence against witches.
| 1646 Gaule Cases Consc. 6 To save the trouble and Charges of the witch-finder, they will undertake to try the Witch of themselves. 1647 M. Hopkins (title) The Discovery of Witches..now published by Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder. For the Benefit of the whole Kingdome. 1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) XVIII. 876/1 Want of tears was, by the witch-finders,..considered as a very substantial proof of guilt. 1855 Smedley Occult Sciences 169 Dr. Harsnett..exposed the pretensions of the celebrated exorcist and witch-finder, Darrel. |
b. An African witch-doctor.
| 1892 Rider Haggard Nada ii, I saw that the witch-finders and the medicine-men were feared in the land. |
So ˈwitch-ˌfinding.
| 1646 Gaule Cases Consc. 63 Oft times he marries them..by the Book of Common Prayer (as a pretender to witch-finding lately told me). |