Familiar spirit

Familiar spirit
Familiar Fa*mil`iar, a. [OE. familer, familier, F. familier, fr. L. familiaris, fr. familia family. See {Family}.] 1. Of or pertaining to a family; domestic. ``Familiar feuds.'' --Byron.

Syn: familial. [1913 Webster]

2. Closely acquainted or intimate, as a friend or companion; well versed in, as any subject of study; as, familiar with the Scriptures. [1913 Webster]

3. Characterized by, or exhibiting, the manner of an intimate friend; not formal; unconstrained; easy; accessible. ``In loose, familiar strains.'' --Addison. [1913 Webster]

Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

4. Well known; well understood; common; frequent; as, a familiar illustration. [1913 Webster]

That war, or peace, or both at once, may be As things acquainted and familiar to us. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

There is nothing more familiar than this. --Locke. [1913 Webster]

5. Improperly acquainted; wrongly intimate. --Camden. [1913 Webster]

{Familiar spirit}, a demon or evil spirit supposed to attend at call. --1 Sam. xxviii. 3, 7-9. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • familiar spirit — n. FAMILIAR (n. 2) …   English World dictionary

  • Familiar spirit — In early modern English superstition, a familiar spirit, imp, or familiar (from Middle English familiar , related to family) is an animal shaped spirit who serves for witchery, a demon, or other magician related subjects. Familiars were imagined… …   Wikipedia

  • familiar spirit — noun a spirit (usually in animal form) that acts as an assistant to a witch or wizard • Syn: ↑familiar • Hypernyms: ↑spirit, ↑disembodied spirit * * * noun 1. : a supernatural often malignant spirit in the service of an individual …   Useful english dictionary

  • Familiar spirit —    Sorcerers or necormancers, who professed to call up the dead to answer questions, were said to have a familiar spirit (Deut. 18:11; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chr. 33:6; Lev. 19:31; 20:6; Isa. 8:19; 29:4). Such a person was called by the Hebrews an ob,… …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • familiar spirit — a supernatural spirit or demon supposed to attend on or serve a person. Also called familiar. [1555 65] * * * …   Universalium

  • familiar spirit — noun Date: 1565 1. a spirit or demon that serves or prompts an individual 2. the spirit of a dead person invoked by a medium to advise or prophesy …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • familiar spirit — famil′iar spir′it n. myt familiar 9) • Etymology: 1555–65 …   From formal English to slang

  • familiar spirit — /fəmɪljə ˈspɪrət/ (say fuhmilyuh spiruht) noun a supernatural spirit or demon supposed to attend on or serve a person …  

  • Pyewacket (familiar spirit) — Pyewacket was one of the familiar spirits of a witch detected by the witchfinder general Matthew Hopkins in March 1644 in the town of Manningtree, Essex, England. Hopkins claimed he spied on the witches as they held their meeting close by his… …   Wikipedia

  • Familiar — Fa*mil iar, a. [OE. familer, familier, F. familier, fr. L. familiaris, fr. familia family. See {Family}.] 1. Of or pertaining to a family; domestic. Familiar feuds. Byron. Syn: familial. [1913 Webster] 2. Closely acquainted or intimate, as a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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