shaman
Americannoun
noun
-
a priest of shamanism
-
a medicine man of a similar religion, esp among certain tribes of North American Indians
Other Word Forms
- shamanic adjective
Etymology
Origin of shaman
First recorded in 1690–1700; from German Schamane, from Russian shamán, probably from Evenki šamān, samān or another Tungusic language, perhaps ultimately via an intermediary such as Tocharian B from Sanskrit śramaṇá- “ascetic, monk”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He points to the ayahuasqueros, or shamans of the Amazon Basin, as an example of how humans have engaged in radically different methodologies of discovery for generations.
From Los Angeles Times
Once, they brought in a shaman to cleanse the house with sage and cedar during a full blood moon.
From Los Angeles Times
Norway's royal family has been buffeted by a succession of scandals in recent times, including the marriage of the crown prince's sister, Princess Märtha Louise to a self-styled American shaman.
From BBC
Spear dies a hero at the second season’s close, only for a shaman to reanimate him in the third season premiere as a zombie.
From Salon
Peruvian shamans predict global conflict, a White House shakeup in 2026.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
