Dementor
/dɪˈmɛn.tɔːr/noun
A fictional wraith-like creature in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series that drains hope and happiness from living beings.
Did you know?The name is modeled on the English verb “dement,” meaning to drive someone out of their mind, rather than deriving from the unrelated word “demon.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*men-
“To think, remember, or have one’s mind engaged”
Classical Latin
Latin
mens
“Mind, intellect, or consciousness”
Classical Latin
Latin
dēmēns
“Out of one’s mind; irrational or mad”
16th Century
English
dement
“To drive out of one’s mind or make insane”
1997
English
Dementor
“A coined name for a soul-draining creature in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”
Modern English
English
dementor
“A fictional creature associated with despair, emotional depletion, and the loss of hope”