wizard
from
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
wizard
adj 1: possessing or using or characteristic of or appropriate
to supernatural powers; "charming incantations"; "magic
signs that protect against adverse influence"; "a magical
spell"; "'tis now the very witching time of night"-
Shakespeare; "wizard wands"; "wizardly powers" [syn:
{charming}, {magic}, {magical}, {sorcerous},
{witching(a)}, {wizard(a)}, {wizardly}]
n 1: someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field [syn: {ace},
{adept}, {champion}, {sensation}, {maven}, {mavin},
{virtuoso}, {genius}, {hotshot}, {star}, {superstar},
{whiz}, {whizz}, {wizard}, {wiz}]
2: one who practices magic or sorcery [syn: {sorcerer},
{magician}, {wizard}, {necromancer}, {thaumaturge},
{thaumaturgist}]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Wizard \Wiz"ard\, n. [Probably from wise + -ard.]
1. A wise man; a sage. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
See how from far upon the eastern road
The star-led wizards [Magi] haste with odors sweet!
--Milton.
[1913 Webster]
2. One devoted to the black art; a magician; a conjurer; a
sorcerer; an enchanter.
[1913 Webster]
The wily wizard must be caught. --Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
from
Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003)
wizard
n.
1. Transitively, a person who knows how a complex piece of software or
hardware works (that is, who {grok}s it); esp. someone who can find
and fix bugs quickly in an emergency. Someone is a {hacker} if he or
she has general hacking ability, but is a wizard with respect to
something only if he or she has specific detailed knowledge of that
thing. A good hacker could become a wizard for something given the
time to study it.
2. The term `wizard' is also used intransitively of someone who has
extremely high-level hacking or problem-solving ability.
3. A person who is permitted to do things forbidden to ordinary
people; one who has {wheel} privileges on a system.
4. A Unix expert, esp. a Unix systems programmer. This usage is well
enough established that `Unix Wizard' is a recognized job title at
some corporations and to most headhunters.
See {guru}, {lord high fixer}. See also {deep magic}, {heavy
wizardry}, {incantation}, {magic}, {mutter}, {rain dance}, {voodoo
programming}, {wave a dead chicken}.
from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
wizard
1. A person who knows how a complex piece of software or
hardware works (that is, who {groks} it); especially someone
who can find and fix bugs quickly in an emergency. Someone is
a {hacker} if he or she has general hacking ability, but is a
wizard with respect to something only if he or she has
specific detailed knowledge of that thing. A good hacker
could become a wizard for something given the time to study
it.
2. A person who is permitted to do things forbidden to
ordinary people; one who has {wheel} privileges on a system.
3. A Unix expert, especially a Unix systems programmer. This
usage is well enough established that "Unix Wizard" is a
recognised job title at some corporations and to most
headhunters.
See {guru}, {lord high fixer}. See also {deep magic}, {heavy
wizardry}, {incantation}, {magic}, {mutter}, {rain dance},
{voodoo programming}, {wave a dead chicken}.
4. An interactive help utility that guides the user through a
potentially complex task, such as configuring a {PPP} driver
to work with a new {modem}. Wizards are often implemented as
a sequence of {dialog boxes} which the user can move forward
and backward through, filling in the details required. The
implication is that the expertise of a human wizard in one of
the above senses is encapsulated in the software wizard,
allowing the average user to perform expertly.
[{Jargon File}]
(1998-09-07)
from
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
Wizard
a pretender to supernatural knowledge and power, "a knowing
one," as the original Hebrew word signifies. Such an one was
forbidden on pain of death to practise his deceptions (Lev.
19:31; 20:6, 27; 1 Sam. 28:3; Isa. 8:19; 19:3).
from
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
87 Moby Thesaurus words for "wizard":
Comus, Faust, OK, ace, ace-high, artist, authority, bad, bang-up,
bonzer, boss, bully, but good, conjurer, cool, corking,
crackerjack, dandy, delicious, diabolist, diviner, dowser, ducky,
enchanter, fab, fine and dandy, first-rater, gear, genius,
good hand, great, groovy, heavy, hot, hunky-dory, jam-up,
just dandy, keen, mage, magician, magus, mahatma, man of genius,
marvy, master, master hand, mastermind, mean, miracle-worker, neat,
necromancer, nifty, nobby, okay, out of sight, past master, peachy,
peachy-keen, practiced hand, prodigy, professional, proficient,
ripping, rum, sage, scrumptious, skilled hand, slap-up, smashing,
solid, something else, sorcerer, spiffing, spiffy, star, stunning,
superstar, swell, thaumaturge, thaumaturgist, theurgist,
topnotcher, tough, virtuoso, warlock, water witch, whiz
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