WITCH

[noun] [C] - a woman who is believed to have magical powers and who uses them to harm or help other peopleWitches were persecuted all over western Europe from the 15th to the 17th century as it was claimed that they had dealings with the Devil.The negative image of a witch in popular culture is an evil old woman stirring a simmering cauldron and casting spells, who wears a black cloak and a tall pointed hat and carries a broomstick.See picture: Imaginary creatures(informal disapproving) A woman who is considered ugly or evil is sometimes called a witch.(informal) What's that witches' brew (= unpleasant liquid mixture, of which you do not know the contents) you're concocting there - surely you don't expect me to drink it?(disapproving) A witch-hunt is an attempt to find and punish people whose opinions are unpopular and who are said to be a danger to society.In America in the 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy led a witch-hunt against people suspected of being communists.