/nəˈɡwɑːleɪz/, U.S. /nəˈɡwɑˌleɪz/, nahuales Brit. /nəˈ(h)wɑːleɪz/, U.S. /nəˈ(h)wɑˌleɪz/.nagualn.
/nəˈɡwɑːl/, U.S. /nəˈɡwɑl//nəˈɡwɑːleɪz/, U.S. /nəˈɡwɑˌleɪz/, nahuales Brit. /nəˈ(h)wɑːleɪz/, U.S. /nəˈ(h)wɑˌleɪz/./nəˈ(h)wɑːl/, U.S. /nəˈ(h)wɑl/, 1900s– nawal (rare). Also with capital initial. Among certain indigenous peoples of Mexico and surrounding countries: a guardian spirit in animal form, believed to accompany and guide an individual through life; an animal form believed to be assumed by a human through magical or supernatural means.
ΚΠ
1822 P. F. Cabrera tr. N. de la Vega in Teatro Critico Americano 123 They persuade the children, by their infernal cunning, that this Nagual is an angel, sent by God to watch over their fortunes.
1877 Catholic World Apr. 6/2 All those who have studied at all the pueblos of New Mexico describe to some extent the nagual rites, some of which are indeed hidden under the veil of secrecy in their estufas, but others are more open and avowed.
1902 Rep. Brit. Assoc. Advancem. Sci. 741 The guardian spirit was obtained in various ways by different American tribes, but the dream apparition was the most widely spread... It is termed by the Algonkin manitu, by the Huron okki, by the Salish Indians sulia, and nagual in Mexico.
1939 Sci. Monthly 49 63/2 A man became a nahual without realizing for some time.
1974 Encycl. Brit. Micropædia VII. 165/3 Among many modern Meso-American Indians, it is believed that the first creature to cross over the ashes spread before a newborn baby becomes that child's nagual.
1993 R. Rucker et al. Mondo 2000 (U.K. ed.) 213/2 Most compelling was the morph from Michael Jackson into his panther nagual.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1822