Definition: Voodoo
Etymology
From Louisiana Creole voudou, from Haitian Creole vodou, from a West African language, such as Ewe vódũ (deity, idol), Fon vòdún (fetish), or the Kwa languages vodũ.
Noun
voodoo (countable and uncountable, plural voodoos)
- Any of a group of related religious practices found chiefly in and around the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti and Louisiana.
- The spiritual beliefs of the Ewe/Fon of West Africa, practiced chiefly in Benin and in the south of Togo.
Alternative forms
- (religion of Africa or the Americas) vodou, vodoun, voudon, voudoun, vodun, voudou, Voodoo
Derived terms
- voodoo doll
- voodooism
- voodooist
Verb
voodoo (third-person singular simple present voodoos, present participle voodooing, simple past and past participle voodooed)
- To bewitch someone or something using voodoo
- He claimed his neighbor had voodooed him.
Credits
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors copied and adjusted this Wiktionary entry in accordance with NWE standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit for this article is due to both New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions at Wiktionary is accessible to researchers here:
