One formerly employed to search for and obtain evidence against witches.
1646. Gaule, Cases Consc., 6. To save the trouble and Charges of the witch-finder, they will undertake to try the Witch of themselves.
1647. M. Hopkins (title), The Discovery of Witches … now published by Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder. For the Benefit of the whole Kingdome.
1797. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), XVIII. 876/1. Want of tears was, by the witch-finders,… considered as a very substantial proof of guilt.
1855. Smedley, Occult Sciences, 169. Dr. Harsnett … exposed the pretensions of the celebrated exorcist and witch-finder, Darrel.
b. An African witch-doctor.
1892. Rider Haggard, Nada, ii. I saw that the witch-finders and the medicine-men were feared in the land.
So Witch-finding.
1646. Gaule, Cases Consc., 63. Oft times he marries them … by the Book of Common Prayer (as a pretender to witch-finding lately told me).
