Sorcery \Sor"cer*y\, n.; pl. Sorceries. [OE. sorcerie, OF.
   sorcerie, fr. OF. & F. sorcier a sorcerer, LL. sortiarius,
   fr. L. sors, sortis, a lot, decision by lot, fate, destiny.
   See Sort, n.]
   Divination by the assistance, or supposed assistance, of evil
   spirits, or the power of commanding evil spirits; magic;
   necromancy; witchcraft; enchantment.
   [1913 Webster]

         Adder's wisdom I have learned,
         To fence my ear against thy sorceries.   --Milton.
   [1913 Webster]

	

	sorcery
    n 1: the belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or
         evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world
         [syn: sorcery, black magic, black art, necromancy]

	

	75 Moby Thesaurus words for "sorcery":
   Black Mass, Prospero, Satanism, airiness, appearance, astrology,
   augury, bewitchment, black art, black magic, chthonian worship,
   clairvoyance, crystal ball, crystal gazing, delusiveness, demonism,
   demonography, demonolatry, demonology, demonomancy, demonomy,
   demonry, devil lore, devil worship, devilry, diablerie, diabolism,
   diabology, diabolology, divination, divining, enchantment,
   fallaciousness, false appearance, false light, false show,
   falseness, fortunetelling, haruspication, haruspicy, horoscopy,
   idealization, illusionism, illusionist, illusiveness,
   immateriality, incantation, magic, magic act, magic show, magician,
   mantic, mantology, necromancy, palm-reading, palmistry,
   prestidigitation, pythonism, seeming, semblance, shamanism, show,
   simulacrum, sleight of hand, sorcerer, sortilege,
   specious appearance, thaumaturgy, unactuality, unreality,
   unsubstantiality, white magic, witchcraft, witching, wizardry

	

	SORCERY, n.  The ancient prototype and forerunner of political
influence.  It was, however, deemed less respectable and sometimes was
punished by torture and death.  Augustine Nicholas relates that a poor
peasant who had been accused of sorcery was put to the torture to
compel a confession.  After enduring a few gentle agonies the
suffering simpleton admitted his guilt, but naively asked his
tormentors if it were not possible to be a sorcerer without knowing
it.