obeah

Meanings

Plural: obeahs

Noun

(West Indies) followers of a religious system involving witchcraft and sorcery
a religious belief of African origin involving witchcraft and sorcery; practiced in parts of the West Indies and tropical Americas
A form of folk magic, medicine or witchcraft originating in Africa and practised in parts of the Caribbean.
A magician or witch doctor of the magic craft.
A spell performed in the practice of the magic craft; an item associated with such a spell.

Verb

To bewitch using this kind of folk magic.

Origin / Etymology

Uncertain; apparently from a Caribbean creole, probably ultimately from a West African language. The Oxford English Dictionary points to Igbo abià (“knowledge, wisdom”), obìa (“doctor, healer”). Cognate of Aukan obiya, Saramaccan obia, and Sranan Tongo obia.

Synonyms

obi

Scrabble Score: 10

obeah is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
obeah is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
obeah is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

obeah is a valid Words With Friends word