Obeah

Pronunciation

• Caribbean IPA: /ˈobia/
• UK IPA: /ˈəʊbɪə/

Alternative forms

• obi, obea, oby, obia

Origin

Origin uncertain. Apparently from a Caribbean creole, probably ultimately from a West African language. The OED points to Igbo abià ("knowledge, wisdom"), obìa ("doctor, healer").

Full definition of obeah

Noun

1. A form of folk magic, medicine or witchcraft originating in Africa and practiced in parts of the Caribbean.