- FAMILIAR SPIRITS
- certain supernatural beings presumed, agreeably to a very old belief (Lev. xix. 31), to attend magicians or sorcerers, and to be at their beck and call on any emergency.
The Nuttall Encyclopaedia. James Wood. 1907.
FAMILIAR SPIRITS
Look at other dictionaries:
Familiar Spirits — is a memoir published in 2000 by American writer Alison Lurie. In it, she recounts a friendship with poet James Merrill and his life partner David Jackson which began in the 1950s. Merrill and Jackson were both wealthy, well educated men, who… … Wikipedia
Familiar spirits — Spirit Spir it, n. [OF. espirit, esperit, F. esprit, L. spiritus, from spirare to breathe, to blow. Cf. {Conspire}, {Expire}, {Esprit}, {Sprite}.] 1. Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself. [Obs.] All of spirit… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Familiar spirit — In early modern English superstition, a familiar spirit, imp, or familiar (from Middle English familiar , related to family) is an animal shaped spirit who serves for witchery, a demon, or other magician related subjects. Familiars were imagined… … Wikipedia
familiar — A spirit that maintains regular contact with a person, sometimes acting in service or guardianship, or providing information and instruction. The term familiar is from the Latin term familiaris, meaning “of a household or domestic.”… … Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology
Spirits of turpentine — Spirit Spir it, n. [OF. espirit, esperit, F. esprit, L. spiritus, from spirare to breathe, to blow. Cf. {Conspire}, {Expire}, {Esprit}, {Sprite}.] 1. Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself. [Obs.] All of spirit… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Spirits of wine — Spirit Spir it, n. [OF. espirit, esperit, F. esprit, L. spiritus, from spirare to breathe, to blow. Cf. {Conspire}, {Expire}, {Esprit}, {Sprite}.] 1. Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself. [Obs.] All of spirit… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
familiar spirit — noun a spirit (usually in animal form) that acts as an assistant to a witch or wizard • Syn: ↑familiar • Hypernyms: ↑spirit, ↑disembodied spirit * * * noun 1. : a supernatural often malignant spirit in the service of an individual … Useful english dictionary
Familiar spirit — Sorcerers or necormancers, who professed to call up the dead to answer questions, were said to have a familiar spirit (Deut. 18:11; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chr. 33:6; Lev. 19:31; 20:6; Isa. 8:19; 29:4). Such a person was called by the Hebrews an ob,… … Easton's Bible Dictionary
familiar — Synonyms and related words: Bohemian, abreast, accepted, accustomed, acquaintance, acquainted, acquainted with, advocate, affable, alter ego, amicable, amigo, ancestral spirits, angel, arrogant, attendant godling, au courant, au fait, audacious,… … Moby Thesaurus
Animal spirits — Spirit Spir it, n. [OF. espirit, esperit, F. esprit, L. spiritus, from spirare to breathe, to blow. Cf. {Conspire}, {Expire}, {Esprit}, {Sprite}.] 1. Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself. [Obs.] All of spirit… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
