exorcize
English
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editVerb
editexorcize (third-person singular simple present exorcizes, present participle exorcizing, simple past and past participle exorcized)
- (transitive) To drive out supposed evil spirits from a person, place or thing, especially by an incantation or prayer.
- 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:
- "There was a house in the village which had a poltergeist, one of those very mischievous influences which cause so much trouble. I volunteered to exorcize it. We have an official form of exorcism in the Church, you know, so I thought that I was well-armed."
- (transitive) To rid a person, place or thing of an evil spirit.
Usage notes
editUnlike most verbs using the -ise/-ize suffix, exorcise is more commonly spelled with -s- even in American English.
Related terms
editTranslations
editexorcise — see exorcise
Portuguese
editVerb
editexorcize
- inflection of exorcizar: