druid

noun

dru·​id ˈdrü-id How to pronounce druid (audio)
often capitalized
: one of an ancient Celtic priesthood appearing in Irish and Welsh sagas and Christian legends as magicians and wizards
druidic adjective
or druidical
often capitalized

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Members of a learned class of priests, teachers, and judges among the ancient Celtic peoples, the druids instructed young men, oversaw sacrifices, judged quarrels, and decreed penalties. They did not engage in warfare and paid no tribute. They studied ancient verse, natural philosophy, astronomy, and religious lore; their principal doctrine was belief in the immortality of the soul and the belief that the soul passed into another body after death. They sometimes practiced human sacrifice to cure gravely ill people or protect warriors in battle. The druids were suppressed in Gaul by the Romans in the first century ce and in Britain a little later. After Christianity came to Ireland, they lost their priestly functions, but survived as poets, historians, and judges.

Examples of druid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Rather than slice her way through enemies with a sword and shield, Zelda instead plays like summoner or druid, able to call on creatures to fight for her or objects to climb and solve puzzles. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2024 His power comes not from fantastical magic, but from his role as a druid in a deeply superstitious society. Erik Kain, Forbes, 8 Sep. 2024 Actually, Ed Stonehenge in England, the people who call themselves druids, actually get the right to come out to some of the stone circles when there are eclipses to celebrate. Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024 Set in the Forgotten Realms, the film follows Edgin (Chris Pine) and Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), a pair of thieves who band together with a budding sorcerer (Justice Smith) and a druid (Sophia Lillis) to find a magic relic to help clear Edgin's name and reunite him with his daughter. Gwen Ihnat and Kevin Jaconsen, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2023 See all Example Sentences for druid 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'druid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin druides, druidae, plural, from Gaulish druides; akin to Old Irish druí druid, and perhaps to Old English trēow tree

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of druid was in 1563

Dictionary Entries Near druid

Cite this Entry

“Druid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/druid. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

druid

noun
dru·​id ˈdrü-əd How to pronounce druid (audio)
often capitalized
: a member of an ancient Celtic priesthood appearing in sagas and legends as magicians and wizards
druidic adjective
or druidical
often capitalized
druidism
ˈdrü-ə-ˌdiz-əm
noun often capitalized

More from Merriam-Webster on druid

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