energumen

noun

en·​er·​gu·​men

ˌenə(r)ˈgyümə̇n

plural -s

1

: a person possessed by or as if by an evil spirit : demoniac

specifically : one belonging to a Christian church in the first centuries and placed in a special class ministered to by exorcists and allowed limited participation in common worship

2

: a fanatical devotee, adherent, or enthusiast

military energumens

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin energumenus one possessed by an evil spirit, from Late Greek energoumenos, from Greek, worked on, being the object of an action, present middle participle of energein to be in action, effect, from energos active, effective

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