Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A member of an order of priests in ancient Gaul and Britain who appear in Welsh and Irish legend as prophets and sorcerers.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. One of an order of priests or ministers of religion among the ancient Celts of Gaul, Britain, and Ireland. The chief seats of the druids were in Wales, Brittany, and the regions around the modern Dreux and Chartres in France. The druids are believed to have possessed some knowledge of geometry, natural philosophy, etc. They superintended the affairs of religion and morality, and performed the office of judges. The oak is said to have represented to them the one supreme God, and the mistletoe when growing upon it the dependence of man upon him; and they accordingly held these in the highest veneration, oak-groves being their places of worship. They are said to have had a common superior, who was elected by a majority of votes from their own members, and who enjoyed his dignity for life. The druids, as an order, always opposed the Romans, but were ultimately exterminated by them.
- n. A member of a society called the United Ancient Order of Druids, founded in London in 1781, for the mutual benefit of the members, and now counting numerous lodges, called groves, in America, Australia, Germany, etc.
- n. In entomology, a kind of saw-fly, a hyme-nopterous insect of the family Tenthredinidœ.
Wiktionary
- n. One of an order of priests (pre-christian) which in ancient times existed among certain branches of the Celtic race, especially among the Gauls and Britons.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. One of an order of priests which in ancient times existed among certain branches of the Celtic race, especially among the Gauls and Britons.
- n. A member of a social and benevolent order, founded in London in 1781, and professedly based on the traditions of the ancient Druids. Lodges or
groves of the society are established in other countries.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a pre-Christian priest among the Celts of ancient Gaul and Britain and Ireland
Etymologies
- From Latin druidēs, druids, of Celtic origin; see deru- in Indo-European roots.
Examples
“I proved myself a magician, what they call a druid, by various sleight-of-hand tricks and occultistic nonsense.”
The Boat of a Million Years
“Celebrate Yule instead or dance around in druid robes for the solstice.”
“This somewhat-crazed druid is definitely pirate material.”
Meet the Reavers – “Serpent” Ref Jorenson, Ulfen Druid « Geek Related
“With the ancient writers the word druid had two meanings; in the stricter sense it meant the teachers of moral philosophy and science; in the wider sense it included the priests, diviners, judges, teachers, physicians, astronomers, and philosophers of Gaul.”
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 5: Diocese-Fathers of Mercy
“The celebration at the doctor's house left the heroes well-fed and drunk, and though it occurred to both Fabi and Paythan that the druid might be able to tell them more about these strange portals, they are reluctant to ask him about it.”
“The druid was a small man, his back stooped and crooked with age, his face like a living skull, yellowed flesh clinging to his bones above a stringy gray beard.”
“When the King heard the words of the lady, he commanded his people to call the druid again to him, saying, "Bring my druid Coran to me; for I see that the fairy lady has this day regained the power of her voice.”
Childhood's Favorites and Fairy Stories The Young Folks Treasury, Volume 1
“Probly cause I sped through the game on my mage, whereas my druid was my first 60 and 70.”
“It is also, of course, often linked to drwyd, "druid" or "wizard.”
“[Illustration] Collins calls James Thomson (author of _The Seasons_) a druid, meaning a pastoral British poet or "Nature's High Priest.”
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