hex

An evil spell or curse.

Noun

  1. An evil spell or curse.

    Synonyms: jinx malediction

  2. A witch.

    Synonyms: enchantress sorceress wizardess

    Hypernyms: spellcaster thaumaturge archmage archmagician bewitcher charmer conjurer illusionist Karcist mage magic user magus obeah shaman sortileger spellbinder spellmaker theurgist whizz whiz witch doctor wiz wonderworker

  3. A spell (now rare but still found in compounds such as hex sign and hexcraft).

    Synonyms: enchantment incantation spell cantrip chantment charm craft dwimmer hex magic magic spell makutu mojo obeah pishogue rune spellword wanga

Origin

First attested about 1830, from Pennsylvania German hexe (“to practice witchcraft”), from German hexen (compare Hexe (“witch”)). The noun appeared later, in the 1850s. Cognate to Norwegian Bokmål heks (“witch”) and Dutch heks (“witch”), Dutch beheksen (“to bewitch”), Old English hægtesse (“witch, hag”). Doublet of hag.

Forms

hexes

Derived

dehex hexcraft hexer hexology hex sign unhex

Noun Entry 2

  1. A hexagonal space on a game board.
  2. a hexagon-shaped item of rock climbing equipment intended to be wedged into a crack or other opening in the rock.

Origin

Short for hexagon.

Forms

hexes

Related

nut

Derived

dihex heptahex hexahex hexane hex bar hex crawl hexer hex head bolt hex head screw hex head wrench hex key megahex monohex pentahex polyhex tetrahex trihex

Noun computing, engineering

  1. Clipping of hexadecimal.

Origin

Short for hexadecimal.

Derived

hex edit hex-edit hex editor hex-editor

Noun chemistry, natural sciences

  1. Clipping of uranium hexafluoride.

Origin

Short for hexafluoride.

Forms

hexes

Verb

  1. To cast a spell on (specifically an evil spell), to bewitch.

    Synonyms: bespell jinx spellbind bechat becry beglammer bewitch conjure enchant englamour ensorcell enspell forspeak glamour hex maleficiate mojo spell spellcast witch

Forms

hexes hexing hexed