MAGICIAN

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does magician mean? 

• MAGICIAN (noun)
  The noun MAGICIAN has 2 senses:

1. someone who performs magic tricks to amuse an audience

2. one who practices magic or sorcery

  Familiarity information: MAGICIAN used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MAGICIAN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Someone who performs magic tricks to amuse an audience

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

conjurer; conjuror; illusionist; magician; prestidigitator

Hypernyms ("magician" is a kind of...):

performer; performing artist (an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "magician"):

escape expert; escapologist (an entertainer who is expert in the art of escaping)

mind reader; telepathist; thought-reader (a magician who seems to discern the thoughts of another person (usually by clever signals from an accomplice))

Derivation:

magic (an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers)

Sense 2

Meaning:

One who practices magic or sorcery

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

magician; necromancer; sorcerer; thaumaturge; thaumaturgist; wizard

Hypernyms ("magician" is a kind of...):

occultist (a believer in occultism; someone versed in the occult arts)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "magician"):

enchanter (a sorcerer or magician)

exorciser; exorcist (someone who practices exorcism)

magus (a magician or sorcerer of ancient times)

sorceress (a woman sorcerer)

witch doctor (someone who is believed to heal through magical powers)

Instance hyponyms:

Cagliostro; Count Alessandro di Cagliostro; Giuseppe Balsamo (Italian who was famous as a magician and alchemist (1743-1795))

Derivation:

magic (any art that invokes supernatural powers)

 Context examples 

Well, he said with a sigh, I'm not much of a magician, as I said; but if you will come to me tomorrow morning, I will stuff your head with brains.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

Perhaps some Arabian-night magician, opened up the place for the day, and shut it up for ever when we came away.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Glubbdubdrib, as nearly as I can interpret the word, signifies the island of sorcerers or magicians.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

“Why, you are like a magician,” said she. “How do you know that?”

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

In the civilized countries I believe there are no witches left, nor wizards, nor sorceresses, nor magicians.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

It is about one third as large as the Isle of Wight, and extremely fruitful: it is governed by the head of a certain tribe, who are all magicians.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Upon the whole, the behaviour of these animals was so orderly and rational, so acute and judicious, that I at last concluded they must needs be magicians, who had thus metamorphosed themselves upon some design, and seeing a stranger in the way, resolved to divert themselves with him; or, perhaps, were really amazed at the sight of a man so very different in habit, feature, and complexion, from those who might probably live in so remote a climate.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)