a female sorcerer or magician
"The village elder warned that an old witch had been seen casting spells in the forest at midnight."
a being (usually female) imagined to have special powers derived from the devil
"The old woman was rumored to be a witch who made pacts with the devil to control the weather."
A person who practices witchcraft.
"The old-fashioned witch sat on the mantle, casting a warm glow that illuminated the winter evening without needing an electric bulb."
A cone of paper which is placed in a vessel of lard or other fat and used as a taper.
In plain English: A witch is someone who uses magic to cast spells and change things around them.
"The old woman in the story was said to be a witch who could fly on a broomstick."
Usage: The term refers to either the historical candle-shaped wick made of paper dipped in tallow, now obsolete, or more commonly today to a practitioner of magic. When discussing modern contexts involving supernatural beliefs, it specifically denotes a female sorcerer rather than any type of lighting device.
To practise witchcraft.
"The old woman was accused of using herbs to practice witchcraft on her neighbor's livestock."
The word witch comes from Old English wiċċe, originally meaning a sorceress or warlock. It traveled into Middle English with the same sense of someone who practices magic.