Witchcrafts

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The practice of magical arts and sorcery, often involving supernatural powers and spells
2. The use of rituals and incantations to invoke the aid of spirits or manipulate natural forces
3. Activities associated with the belief in and application of magical powers, typically for various purposes, including healing or divination

Etymology: "Witchcrafts" is the plural of "witchcraft," so it refers to particular instances or kinds of the practice rather than the practice in general. The base word traces to Old English "wiċċecræft," built from "wiċċe," meaning witch, and "-cræft," meaning skill, craft, or power. Its Middle English descendants, "wicchecraft" and "wicchecreft," carried the same structure forward. The "craft" element is the surprising part. In Old English, "cræft" did not primarily mean a trade or handicraft. It meant skill, strength, or cunning in general, which is why compounds with it could describe a range of abilities. "Witchcraft" thus originally named a kind of learned power rather than a special category of wrongdoing, and the sinister connotation grew from that broader sense of skill.