exorcise
pronunciation
How to pronounce exorcise in British English:
UK ['eksɔ:saɪz]
How to pronounce exorcise in American English:
US ['eksɔˌsaɪz]
-
- Verb:
- expel through adjuration or prayers
Word Origin
- exorcise (v.)
- c. 1400, "to invoke spirits," from Old French exorciser (14c.), from Late Latin exorcizare, from Greek exorkizein "banish an evil spirit; bind by oath" (see exorcism). Sense of "call up evil spirits to drive them out" became dominant 16c. Formerly also exorcize; a rare case where -ise trumps -ize on both sides of the Atlantic, perhaps due to influence of exercise. Related: Exorcised; exorcising.
Example
- 1. Now it is helping to exorcise wartime ghosts .
- 2. Try to exorcise the demon .
- 3. The spectre of sinn fein in the corridors of power proves hard to exorcise .
- 4. The witch said that she could exorcise the evil spirit from ( out of ) the girl .
- 5. Attempting to exorcise the boy of kindoki , his sister and her boyfriend tortured him to death over five days in december 2010 using an array of weapons , including light bulbs , floor tiles , knives and pliers .