exorcise

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“
"They have the power to exorcise --"

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Definitions (8)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. transitive verb To expel (an evil spirit) by or as if by incantation, command, or prayer.
  2. transitive verb To free from evil spirits or malign influences.
  3. Word History
    An oath is to be found at the etymological heart of exorcise, a term going back to the Greek word exorkizein, meaning "to swear in,” "to take an oath by,” "to conjure,” and "to exorcise.” Exorkizein in turn is formed from the prefix ex-, "thoroughly,” and the verb horkizein, "to make one swear, administer an oath to,” derived from horkos, "oath.” Our word exorcise is first recorded in English in a work composed possibly before the beginning of the 15th century, and in this use exorcise means "to call up or conjure spirits” rather than "to drive out spirits,” a sense first recorded in 1546.

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Examples (50)

  • That church is gonna need to be burned to the ground to exorcise its demons after this episode of sacrilege. —  Vh1 Blog
  • Consecrate Salt and Water: Touch water with Athame, saying, "I exorcise thee, O creature of Water, that thou cast out from Thee all the impurities and uncleannesses of the Spirits of the World of Phantasm, so they may harm me not, in the names of Aradia and Cernunnos." —  The Book Of THoTH, Popular Articles from The Archive Category - Ordo Templi Orientis
  • Rist's actions are not just about helping others - he is purging his soul to help exorcise the inner demons which have been festering ever since his young son died and he lost everything he truly loved.
  • "I suppose I'm trying to exorcise something by anticipating disaster," he says. —  Pet Chat with Doc Halligan | Parade.com
  • Advani, 81, has become the best hope for the Sangh as the saffron forces seek to exorcise the ghost of the 2004 Lok Sabha election defeat. —  NDTV News - Top Stories
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English exorcisen, from Late Latin exorcizāre, from Greek exorkizein : ex-, out of; see exo- + horkizein, to make one swear (from horkos, oath).

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Formerly also exorcize (the proper spelling according to the analogy of other verbs in -ize); from Middle English *exorcisen (in deriv.), from Old French exorciser, French exorciser = Spanish Portuguese exorcizar = Italian esorcizzare, from Late Latin exorcizare, from Greek ἐξορκίζειν, in ecclesiastical writers drive away (an evil spirit) by adjuration, in classical Greek equivalent to the earlier ἐξορκοῡν, swear a person, administer an oath, from ἐξ + δρκίζειν, ὁρκοῡν, administer an oath, from ὄρκος, an oath.
 

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/ˈɛksɔrsaɪz/
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