witcher

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈwɪt͡ʃɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɪtʃə(ɹ)

From witch +‎ -er, from the popular belief that dowsing was a supernatural act.

witcher (plural witchers)

1. A dowser.

• witch (verb)

Contraction of with + your.

witcher

1. Pronunciation spelling of with your.
   • 1934, Henry Roth, Call It Sleep:

     ... an' t'hell witcher ponies I says

   • 1974, Paul R. Clancy, Just a Country Lawyer: A Biography of Senator Sam Ervin, page 103:

     And Wiltz said, 'Come on witcher conversation, Mr. Avery. Come on witcher conversation.'

   • 1999, Richard Price, Bloodbrothers, page 113:

     Whyncha quit? You can do construction work witcher ol man.

   • 2010, Rex Miller, Profane Men, page 45:

     How's it feel to be drinkin' and smokin' witcher big-time, freelance gunman. Huh? Pretty exciting or what?

From witch +‎ -er, a male equivalent of witch using the -er suffix as masculine, as in widower vs. widow, a calque of Polish wiedźmin. Possibly influenced by witchery.

The Polish word was coined in 1986 by author Andrzej Sapkowski as a male equivalent of wiedźma (“witch”) for his The Witcher book series and media franchise. The English calque witcher was popularized by the series' English translation.

witcher (plural witchers)

1. A male witch; warlock.

• witch (noun)

• Wichert