variants
or less commonly obi
,
often Obeah
: a system of belief among Black people chiefly of the British West Indies and the Guianas that is characterized by the use of magic ritual to ward off misfortune or to cause harm
Examples of obeah in a Sentence
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The Bahamas plot marks the series’ most significant expansion from the novel, exploring the impact of American meddling on longtime residents like hired enforcer Egg (David St. Louis) and Gracie (Jodie Turner-Smith), an obeah mystic who calls herself the Dragon Queen.
—
Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Aug. 2024
Two Black obeah men—spiritualists—got the credit for curing her.
—Ishion Hutchinson, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2022
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Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Aug. 2024
Two Black obeah men—spiritualists—got the credit for curing her.
—Ishion Hutchinson, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Obeah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obeah. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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