nagual
noun
na·gual
nəˈ(g)wäl
variants or less commonly nahual
nəˈ(h)wäl
plural naguals
-älz
or naguales -äˌlās
also nahuals 1
a
: a personal guardian spirit or protective alter ego assumed by various Middle American Indians to reside in an animal or less frequently in some other embodiment compare huaca
b
: the animal double or guardian itself
2
: a sorcerer believed by various Middle American Indians to be capable of transforming himself into animal form
Word History
Etymology
Spanish, from Nahuatl nahualli, naualli, from nahua to dance with tied hands