water-witchv.

Brit.

/ˈwɔːtəwɪtʃ/, U.S.

/ˈwɔdərˌwɪtʃ/,

/ˈwɑdərˌwɪtʃ/

Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: water witch n.

Etymology: < water witch n. Compare earlier water witching n. and also water witcher n.

North American.

1. intransitive. To search for underground sources of water using a divining rod or similar technique; to dowse. Also figurative.

ΚΠ

1868 [implied in: Ohio Farmer 26 Dec. 817/3 Veins being traced up the hill-sides and wells dug to tap them, as well as water found, in desired localities. Those veins, were doubtless inhabited and kept open by the craw-fish, till found and utilized by the rod of the water-witcher. (at water witcher n.)].

1871 Prairie Farmer 26 Aug. 272/2 Some are ‘water-witching’ with but little success.

1939 Amer. Home May 128/2 This accountant husband of mine even ‘water-witched’ a bit so that we do not have to rely on our neighbor's generosity but have a spring of our own.

1947 R. Bedichek Adventures with Texas Naturalist x. 119 It turned out that she [sc. a pig] was water-witching..for presently she began rooting. Soon her..snout unearthed a spring of crystal-clear water.

2012 K. McGuire Escaping Cauldron viii. 48 My grandfather used divining rods to locate water on his farm. I remember the day he taught me how to water witch. We walked around the yard until we found a thin y-shaped stick.

2. transitive. To search (an area of land) for subterranean water with a divining rod. Also: to discover (subterranean water, a well, etc.) by this method.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > search for or seek [verb (transitive)] > search for subterraneous water

water-witch1913

witch1937

1913 E. Dejeans Water-Witched Valley ix in Lippincott's Monthly Mag. Oct. 440 There ain't a half-mile of that valley down there that ain't been water-witched—we've been so desperate for water.

1951 H. A. Travis Umatilla Trail vii. 56 Many of the wells here were water-witched with the forked hazel twig, some were lucky, others were not.

1974 R. L. Sharp Big Outfit ix. 45 A couple of the spots he ‘water-witched’, he forecasted the water depth to be over one hundred feet.

2014 Salt Lake Tribune (Nexis) 24 May She hired a well-recommended well driller who first wanted to come out and water-witch the site.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2015; most recently modified version published online December 2021).

单词	water-witch
释义	water-witchv. Brit. /ˈwɔːtəwɪtʃ/, U.S. /ˈwɔdərˌwɪtʃ/, /ˈwɑdərˌwɪtʃ/ Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: water witch n. Etymology: < water witch n. Compare earlier water witching n. and also water witcher n. North American. 1. intransitive. To search for underground sources of water using a divining rod or similar technique; to dowse. Also figurative. ΚΠ 1868 [implied in: Ohio Farmer 26 Dec. 817/3 Veins being traced up the hill-sides and wells dug to tap them, as well as water found, in desired localities. Those veins, were doubtless inhabited and kept open by the craw-fish, till found and utilized by the rod of the water-witcher. (at water witcher n.)]. 1871 Prairie Farmer 26 Aug. 272/2 Some are ‘water-witching’ with but little success. 1939 Amer. Home May 128/2 This accountant husband of mine even ‘water-witched’ a bit so that we do not have to rely on our neighbor's generosity but have a spring of our own. 1947 R. Bedichek Adventures with Texas Naturalist x. 119 It turned out that she [sc. a pig] was water-witching..for presently she began rooting. Soon her..snout unearthed a spring of crystal-clear water. 2012 K. McGuire Escaping Cauldron viii. 48 My grandfather used divining rods to locate water on his farm. I remember the day he taught me how to water witch. We walked around the yard until we found a thin y-shaped stick. 2. transitive. To search (an area of land) for subterranean water with a divining rod. Also: to discover (subterranean water, a well, etc.) by this method. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > search for or seek [verb (transitive)] > search for subterraneous water water-witch1913 witch1937 1913 E. Dejeans Water-Witched Valley ix in Lippincott's Monthly Mag. Oct. 440 There ain't a half-mile of that valley down there that ain't been water-witched—we've been so desperate for water. 1951 H. A. Travis Umatilla Trail vii. 56 Many of the wells here were water-witched with the forked hazel twig, some were lucky, others were not. 1974 R. L. Sharp Big Outfit ix. 45 A couple of the spots he ‘water-witched’, he forecasted the water depth to be over one hundred feet. 2014 Salt Lake Tribune (Nexis) 24 May She hired a well-recommended well driller who first wanted to come out and water-witch the site. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2015; most recently modified version published online December 2021). < v.1868
随便看	to pair off to pair up to pal around to pal etc to pal out to screw down to screw its way to screw off to screw one's courage to the sticking place to screw one's courage to the sticking point to screw one's head on tight to screw out into the boat to screw out of the boat to screw over to screw the pooch to screw up to screw with to scribble away to scribble down to scribble out to scribble up to scruff oneself up to scrum down to scruple at to scull about