Druid

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Druid \Dru"id\, n. [L. Druides; of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. &
     Gael. draoi, druidh, magician, Druid, W. derwydd Druid.]
     1. One of an order of priests which in ancient times existed
        among certain branches of the Celtic race, especially
        among the Gauls and Britons.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     Note: The Druids superintended the affairs of religion and
           morality, and exercised judicial functions. They
           practiced divination and magic, and sacrificed human
           victims as a part of their worship. They consisted of
           three classes; the bards, the vates or prophets, and
           the Druids proper, or priests. Their most sacred rites
           were performed in the depths of oak forests or of
           caves.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A member of a social and benevolent order, founded in
        London in 1781, and professedly based on the traditions of
        the ancient Druids. Lodges or groves of the society are
        established in other countries.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Druid stones}, a name given, in the south of England, to
        weatherworn, rough pillars of gray sandstone scattered
        over the chalk downs, but in other countries generally in
        the form of circles, or in detached pillars.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  druid
       n : a pre-Christian priest among the Celts of ancient Gaul and
           Britain and Ireland

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  72 Moby Thesaurus words for "Druid":
     Cassandra, Druidess, Parsi, Sabaist, Zoroastrian, animal worshiper,
     anthropolater, arborolater, archaeolater, astrologer, augur,
     calamity howler, chthonian, crystal gazer, daduchus,
     demon worshiper, demonolater, dendrolater, devil worshiper,
     divinator, diviner, divineress, epopt, fetishist, fire worshiper,
     flamen, forecaster, foreknower, foreseer, foreshower, foreteller,
     fortuneteller, geomancer, haruspex, hierodule, hierophant, hieros,
     idol worshiper, idolater, idolatress, idolatrizer, idolist,
     idolizer, mystes, nature worshiper, ophiolater, palmist,
     phallic worshiper, predictor, prefigurer, presager, prognosticator,
     prophesier, prophet, prophet of doom, prophetess, psychic,
     pyrolater, pythoness, religious prophets, seer, seeress,
     snake worshiper, soothsayer, star worshiper, sun worshiper,
     theriolater, therolater, tree worshiper, vates, weather prophet,
     zoolater