( BrE also ex·or·cise ) / ˈeksɔːsaɪz; NAmE -sɔːrs-/ verb [ vn ]
1.
exorcize sth (from sb/sth) to make an evil spirit leave a place or sb's body by special prayers or magic
2.
( formal ) to remove sth that is bad or painful from your mind :
She had managed to exorcize these unhappy memories from her mind.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from French exorciser or ecclesiastical Latin exorcizare , from Greek exorkizein , from ex- out + horkos oath. The word originally meant conjure up (an evil spirit) ; the current sense dates from the mid 16th cent.