voodoo
[ voo-doo ]
/ ˈvu du /
noun, plural voo·doos.
adjective
of, pertaining to, associated with, or practicing voodoo.
Informal.
characterized by deceptively simple, almost as if magical, solutions or ideas: voodoo economics.
verb (used with object), voo·dooed, voo·doo·ing.
to affect by voodoo sorcery.
Origin of voodoo
1810–20,
Americanism; < Louisiana French, earlier
vandoux, vandoo < a West African source perhaps akin to Ewe
vodũ demon
Words nearby voodoo
Example sentences from the Web for voodoo
British Dictionary definitions for voodoo
voodoo
/ (ˈvuːduː) /
noun plural -doos
Also called: voodooism
a religious cult involving witchcraft and communication by trance with ancestors and animistic deities, common in Haiti and other Caribbean islands
a person who practises voodoo
a charm, spell, or fetish involved in voodoo worship and ritual
adjective
relating to or associated with voodoo
verb -doos, -dooing or -dooed
(tr)
to affect by or as if by the power of voodoo
Derived forms of voodoo
voodooist, noun voodooistic, adjectiveWord Origin for voodoo
C19: from Louisiana French
voudou, ultimately of West African origin; compare Ewe
vodu guardian spirit
Cultural definitions for voodoo
voodoo
A form of animism (see also animism) involving trances and other rituals. Communication with the dead is a principal feature of voodoo. It is most common in the nations of the Caribbean Sea, especially Haiti, where people sometimes mingle voodoo and Christian practices.