orisha

noun

ori·sha | \ˈȯr-ə-ˌshä

\

plural orishas also orisha

Definition of orisha

: a Yoruba deity also : one identified with a Roman Catholic saint in Santeria

Examples of orisha in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Oxum is the orisha of love, commonly represented as a woman dressed in yellow and holding a mirror. — Kiratiana Freelon, The Root, "For the Love of God? Evangelical Drug Traffickers Are Terrorizing Practitioners of Afro-Brazilian Religions," 16 Dec. 2017 The Yoruba religion has more than 400 orishas like her, representatives of the supreme god Olodumare. — Femke Van Zeijl, New York Times, "In Sacred Grove in Nigeria, Worship and Connection," 13 Dec. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'orisha.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Time Traveler for orisha

The first known use of orisha was in 1854

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