exorcism

nounattested in dialogue

United Kingdom//ˈɛk.sɔː.sɪ.zəm//
United States//ˈɛk.sɔɹˌsɪ.zəm//
United States//ˈɛk.sɚˌsɪ.zəm//

The ritual act of driving out evil spirits from persons, places or things that are possessed by them.

noun

1
The ritual act of driving out evil spirits from persons, places or things that are possessed by them.
Master Hume, we are therefore prouided: / will her Ladyship behold and heare our Exorcismes?
The imputed virtue of folios full of knockdown arguments is supposed to reside in them, just as some of the majesty of the British Empire dwells in the constable’s truncheon. They are used in pure superstition, as old clodhoppers spoil Latin by way of an exorcism.

Etymology

From Old French exorciser, from Late Latin exorcizō, from Ancient Greek ἐξορκίζω (exorkízō, “to ward off, to charge under oath, adjure”), from ἐξ (ex) + ὅρκος (hórkos).

Forms

plural: exorcisms

existing · That exists, or has existence, especially that exists now.exit · An act of going out or going away, or leaving; a departure.exits · Income, returns, revenue.

exorcism · The ritual act of driving out evil spirits from persons, places or things that are possessed by them.

exotic · Foreign, especially in an exciting way.expand · To change (something) from a smaller form or size to a larger…expansion · An act, process, or instance of expanding.

The neighbouring pages — Alphabetical order follows the rules of the language, not byte values: an accent decides only between two otherwise identical words, and Spanish files Ñ as a letter of its own.