witchfinder en · NOUN
Etymology
From witch + finder.
Meanings
-
(historical) A person employed to carry out witch-hunts and identify witches.
From the 1970s direct and public accusations of witchcraft increased in Zambia, and with them the use of expert witch-finders, who were ubiquitous in rural areas by the 1980s.
2017, Ronald Hutton, The Witch, Yale University Press, page 30:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| witchfinders | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| witch-finder | alternative | lexicographic |