Druidy

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The beliefs, rituals and priestly practices associated with the ancient Celtic Druids of Britain, Ireland and Gaul
2. The religious system and ceremonial customs followed by the priestly class of ancient Celtic peoples
3. The faith and sacred traditions practiced by the Celtic priests who once led worship across northwestern Europe

Etymology: "Druidy" is a plain English formation: the noun "druid" with the suffix "-y" attached, producing a word for the practices, character or domain associated with druids. The suffix "-y" is a common English device for forming nouns of quality, office or activity from a base word, so the new form does not carry a separate story of its own. It sits alongside "druidic", which is a near-equivalent built on the same base. The two words are doublets in the loose sense that they arose from the same root, with "druidic" being the more widely used adjective, while "druidy" is the rarer, more compact noun form.