noun
magus
MAY-guhs
Magus (noun) means a magician or sorcerer, sometimes used disapprovingly to mean a fraud or trickster. Example: “The novel's villain is a self-styled magus who claims to control the weather.”
noun
1
A magician or sorcerer, sometimes used disapprovingly to mean a fraud or trickster.
"The novel's villain is a self-styled magus who claims to control the weather."
"In the middle of the fifth century, Empedocles testified to the vitality of these maguses, who were capable of commanding the winds and of bringing the dead back from Hades and who presented themselves, not as mortals, but as gods."
— Jean-Pierre Vernant, Greek Religion (1987)
2
A priest of the ancient Zoroastrian religion.
"Historians describe the magi as keepers of Persian religious knowledge and ritual."
How to use magus
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA magician or ancient priest-sorcerer figure; the plural "magi" is familiar from the Christmas story of the Three Wise Men.
Common pairings
the three magi
a court magus
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Word forms
- Plural
- magi, maguses
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The novel's villain is a self-styled _____ who claims to control the weather.
Etymology
From Latin magus, from Greek magos, "magician", ultimately from an Old Iranian word for a Zoroastrian priest.
Rhymes for magus
See all rhymes for magus →Frequently asked questions
What does “magus” mean?
The word “magus” means a magician or sorcerer, sometimes used disapprovingly to mean a fraud or trickster. In plain terms, a magician or ancient priest-sorcerer figure; the plural "magi" is familiar from the Christmas story of the Three Wise Men.
How do you pronounce “magus”?
“Magus” is pronounced MAY-guhs (/ˈmeɪɡəs/ in IPA).
How do you use “magus” in a sentence?
Here is “magus” used in a sentence: “The novel's villain is a self-styled magus who claims to control the weather.”
What part of speech is “magus”?
“Magus” is a noun.
Where does the word “magus” come from?
The word “magus” comes from Latin. From Latin magus, from Greek magos, "magician", ultimately from an Old Iranian word for a Zoroastrian priest.
How many meanings does “magus” have?
“Magus” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a magician or sorcerer, sometimes used disapprovingly to mean a fraud or trickster.
