Meanings
plural Death Eaters
- broadlyderogatoryfigurativelyA fanatical henchman or follower of an evil leader.
These are the bureaucratic Death Eaters. They are dedicated to the proposition that the agency they are being appointed to run has no constitutional right to exist...
2017 January 24, Charles P. Pierce, “The Trump Administration Is Filled with Intellectual Death Eaters”, in Esquire2 more examples
Like the “Death Eaters,” of Harry Potter lore, who try to conquer the wizard world by terrorizing and killing, these economic wrecking crews operate in a realm where ordinary laws do not apply.
2009 March 1, Frank Rich, “Has a ‘Death Eater’ Stolen Our Future?”, in The New York TimesHe surrounded himself not with advisors, but with political death eaters who were more than happy to trade their institutional ethics for a brief moment of proximity to raw, unchecked power.
2020 October 15, Shannon Jones, “The Sycophants of Washington”, in The Atlantic Post
Origin
From death + eater, coined by British author J. K. Rowling for the Harry Potter series. The group of fanatical dark wizards led by Voldemort, who were named as such to refer to "eating" death, or achieving immortality.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Death Eater. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Death%20Eater
“Death Eater.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Death%20Eater. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Death Eater,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Death%20Eater.
Source: Death Eater on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.