Forms: 4 enchantour, -eor, enchauntur, -or, (enchauntonour), 4–5 enchauntour, 4–6 -ter, 5 -eure, 6 inchaunter, 6–7 inchanter, 3– enchanter. [f. ENCHANT v. + -ER. but the ME. forms in -ur, -or, -our, etc., are formally a. OF. enchanteor:—L. incantātōrem.]
1. One who enchants, uses magic (see ENCHANT v. 1); formerly also, a ‘conjuror,’ one who practices sleight of hand.
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 28. Þe kyng Baþulf … gret enchanter was.
c. 1305. St. Lucy, in E. E. P. (1862), 104. Myne enchantours bynyme schulle þi wicchinge.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pers. T., ¶ 615. Fflatereres been the deueles Enchauntours.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVI. xl. (1495), 566. This stone Eliotrop dyscerneth the foly of enchauntours.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, II. cxxii. (1869), 121. If evere thou seye an enchantour pleye with an hat, how he maketh the folk to wene there be somewhat under.
c. 1450. Merlin, vii. 113. Now hath the enchauntor well spoken.
1541. Elyot, Image Gov., 7. Using the counsayle of witches and inchaunters, he made his sacrifice with young children.
1598. Hakluyt, Voy., I. 56. He must pay a great summe of money to the inchanter to be purified.
1634. Milton, Comus, 645. By this means I knew the foul enchanter.
1727. De Foe, Syst. Magic, I. ii. (1840), 58. Whether … we consider the Magicians to be philosophers, or … enchanters and conjurers.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 215. The art of the enchanter is a mode of charming snakes and spiders and scorpions, and other monsters and pests.
b. transf. A ‘charmer,’ bewitching woman.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Beauties (1730), I. 42. With sure success each fair enchanter set Toyles for my heart.
2. Enchanter’s nightshade, Circæa lutetiana.
1597. Gerard, Herbal, II. lix. 280. Inchaunters Nightshade hath leaues like vnto Petimorell.
1775. Ash, Enchanters-nightshade. The name of a plant, the circæa.
1861. Miss Pratt, Flower. Pl., II. 290. Order Onagrariæ. Circæa Lutetiana (common Enchanter’s Night-shade).
