Definition of "obeah" [o•be•ah]

• A form of religious belief of African origin, practiced in some parts of the West Indies, Jamaica, and nearby tropical America, involving sorcery. (noun)
• An object, charm, or fetish used in the practice of this religion. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "British West Indies under that of "obeah," and which sometimes lead even to human sacrifices."
• "It is believed the items were part of an "obeah" ritual done by a criminal defendant, who hoped for supernatural intervention that his court case would be dismissed."
• "If Hinds was living in an area of the Caribbean where old folklore is alive and well, he might have thought that he was the target of an 'obeah' curse."