Among some Native American peoples, a shaman is a person who is believed to have powers to heal sick people or to remove evil spirits from them.
More Synonyms of shaman
shaman in British English
(ˈʃæmən)
noun
1.
a priest of shamanism
2.
a medicine man of a similar religion, esp among certain tribes of Native Americans
Derived forms
shamanic (ʃəˈmænɪk)
adjective
Word origin
C17: from Russian shaman, from Tungusic s̆aman, from Pali samana Buddhist monk, ultimately from Sanskrit śrama religious exercise
shaman in American English
(ˈʃɑmən; ˈʃeɪmən; ˈʃæmən)
nounWord forms: pluralˈshamans
a priest or medicine man, esp. among N Asian peoples, who is believed able to heal and to foretell the future through communication with good and evil spirits
Derived forms
shamanic (shaˈmanic) (ʃəˈmænɪk)
adjective
Word origin
Russ < Tungusic šaman < Prakrit amana, Buddhist monk < Sans ramaṇa, orig., ascetic, akin to ram, to fatigue
Examples of 'shaman' in a sentence
shaman
You become a shaman for song and a medium for message, you know?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The two men and the shaman have been questioned, but no one has been arrested, he added.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
shaman
British English: shaman NOUN
A shaman is a priest or priestess in shamanism.
American English: shaman
Brazilian Portuguese: xamã
Chinese: 黄教僧
European Spanish: chamán
French: chaman
German: Schamane
Italian: sciamano
Japanese: シャーマン
Korean: 샤머니즘의 주술사
European Portuguese: xamã
Latin American Spanish: chamán
(noun)
Definition
a medicine man or witch doctor of a similar religion
a shaman who drives out evil spirits
Synonyms
witch doctor
He believed the village witch doctor had put a curse on him.