(Haiti) followers of a religion that involves witchcraft and animistic deities
"Many people in Haiti follow voodoo as their primary spiritual practice, worshipping spirits known as lwa."
Any of a group of related religious practices found chiefly in and around the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti and Louisiana.
"After visiting the historic sites in New Orleans, she felt like she had stepped into the heart of voodoo traditions that blend African spirituality with Catholicism."
In plain English: Voodoo is an African religion that uses magic and spirits to control people's actions, though it is often wrongly thought of as just scary zombie movies.
"The rumor spread quickly through the small town that an old witch practiced voodoo in the forest."
Usage: The term "voodoo" is often misspelled as "voodo," but the standard spelling includes two 'o's. In casual conversation, it is frequently confused with the unrelated word "vivid," though they have no etymological connection.
bewitch by or as if by a voodoo
"The villagers whispered that the stranger had been bewitched by or as if by a voodoo spell before collapsing in the square."
To bewitch someone or something using voodoo
"The jealous witch tried to voodoo her rival by casting a curse during the full moon."
In plain English: To voodoo something means to magically control it by using spells on its image or name.
"The rumor spread that voodoo had put a curse on his business."
The word "voodoo" comes from Louisiana and Haitian Creole, which borrowed it from West African languages where it originally meant a deity, idol, or fetish. It entered English through these Caribbean dialects rather than directly from Africa.