Definitions for druid
ˈdru ɪddruid

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Druidnoun

   a pre-Christian priest among the Celts of ancient Gaul and Britain and Ireland

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. druidnoun

   One of an order of priests (pre-christian) which in ancient times existed among certain branches of the Celtic race, especially among the Gauls and Britons.

2. Etymology: The earliest record of the term is reported in Greek as Δρυΐδαι (plural), cited in Diogenes Laertius in the 3rd century CE. The native Celtic word for "druid" is first attested in Latin texts as druides (plural) and other texts also employ the form druidae (akin to the Greek form). It is understood that the Latin form is a borrowing from. the word is cognate with the later insular Celtic words, Old Irish druí ("druid, sorcerer") and early Welsh dryw ("seer"). The proto-Celtic word may be *dru-wid-s (literally, "oak-knower"), from Proto-Indo-European *deru- and *weid- "to see".

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Druidnoun

   The priests and philosophers of the antient Britons.

   Etymology: derio, oaks, and hud, incantation; which may be as ancient as the Grecian δϱὺς. Perron; darrach, oak, Erse.

WikipediaRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Druid

   A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. While they were reported to have been literate, they are believed to have been prevented by doctrine from recording their knowledge in written form. Their beliefs and practices are attested in some detail by their contemporaries from other cultures, such as the Romans and the Greeks. The earliest known references to the druids date to the 4th century BCE. The oldest detailed description comes from Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico (50s BCE). They were described by other Roman writers such as Cicero, Tacitus, and Pliny the Elder. Following the Roman invasion of Gaul, the druid orders were suppressed by the Roman government under the 1st-century CE emperors Tiberius and Claudius, and had disappeared from the written record by the 2nd century. In about 750 CE, the word druid appears in a poem by Blathmac, who wrote about Jesus, saying that he was "better than a prophet, more knowledgeable than every druid, a king who was a bishop and a complete sage." The druids appear in some of the medieval tales from Christianized Ireland like "Táin Bó Cúailnge", where they are largely portrayed as sorcerers who opposed the coming of Christianity. In the wake of the Celtic revival during the 18th and 19th centuries, fraternal and neopagan groups were founded based on ideas about the ancient druids, a movement known as Neo-Druidism. Many popular notions about druids, based on misconceptions of 18th-century scholars, have been largely superseded by more recent study.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. druid

   A druid is a member of the high-ranking professional class in ancient Celtic cultures. They served as religious leaders, legal authorities, lore keepers, medical professionals, and political advisors. Druids are often associated with the natural world, mysticism, and philosophical practices. They are commonly referred by their involvement in seasonal rituals, prophecies, and literature and arts in Celtic traditions. Although their practices were suppressed by the Roman Empire, modern druidism has been revived as a spiritual movement.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. Druidnoun

   one of an order of priests which in ancient times existed among certain branches of the Celtic race, especially among the Gauls and Britons

2. Druidnoun

   a member of a social and benevolent order, founded in London in 1781, and professedly based on the traditions of the ancient Druids. Lodges or groves of the society are established in other countries

3. Etymology: [L. Druides; of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. & Gael. draoi, druidh, magician, Druid, W. derwydd Druid.]

WikidataRate this definition:4.5 / 2 votes

1. Druid

   A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic Europe and Galatia during the Iron Age and possibly earlier. Very little is known about the ancient druids. They left no written accounts of themselves and the only evidence is a few descriptions left by Greek, Roman and various scattered authors and artists, as well as stories created by later medieval Irish writers. While archaeological evidence has been uncovered pertaining to the religious practices of the Iron Age people, "not one single artefact or image has been unearthed that can undoubtedly be connected with the ancient Druids." Various recurring themes emerge in a number of the Greco-Roman accounts of the druids, including that they performed human sacrifice, believed in a form of reincarnation, and held a high position in Gaulish society. Next to nothing is known about their cultic practice, except for the ritual of oak and mistletoe as described by Pliny the Elder. The earliest known reference to the druids dates to 200 BCE, although the oldest actual description comes from the Roman military general Julius Caesar in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Later Greco-Roman writers also described the druids, including Cicero, Tacitus and Pliny the Elder. Following the Roman invasion of Gaul, druidism was suppressed by the Roman government under the 1st century CE emperors Tiberius and Claudius, and it had disappeared from the written record by the 2nd century.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Druid

   drōō′id, n. a priest among the ancient Celts of Britain, Gaul, and Germany, who worshipped under oak-trees: a member of a benefit society (founded 1781), its lodges called groves:—fem. Dru′idess.—adjs. Druid′ic, -al, Dru′idish.—n. Dru′idism, the doctrines which the Druids taught: the ceremonies they practised. [L. pl. druidæ—Celt. druid—whence Old Ir. drai, Ir. and Gael. draoi, magician. Littré accepts the ety. from Celt. derw, an oak, which is from the same root as Gr. drys, an oak.]

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1. druid

   Song lyrics by druid -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by druid on the Lyrics.com website.

Etymology and OriginsRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Druid

   In the Celtic Derwydd, derived from dewr, oak, and gwydd, knowledge. A priest who worshipped and offered sacrifices under an oak.

Matched Categories

1. • Priest

How to pronounce druid?

1. Alex

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   David

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   Mark

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   Daniel

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   Mia

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How to say druid in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of druid in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of druid in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=druid
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Druid
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=druid
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druid
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/druid
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=druid
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=druid
9. ^ Etymology and Origins
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/54657/pg54657-images.html#:~:text=druid