hex

Etymology 1

First attested about 1830, from Pennsylvania German hexe (“to practice witchcraft”), from German hexen (compare Hexe (“witch”)). The noun appeared later, in the 1850s. Cognate to Norwegian Bokmål heks (“witch”) and Dutch heks (“witch”), Dutch beheksen (“to bewitch”), Old English hægtesse (“witch, hag”). Doublet of hag.

verb

1. (transitive) To cast a spell on (specifically an evil spell), to bewitch.

noun

1. An evil spell or curse.
2. A witch.
3. (rare) A spell (now rare but still found in compounds such as hex sign and hexcraft).

Etymology 2

Short for hexadecimal.

noun

1. (computing, informal) Clipping of hexadecimal.

Etymology 3

Short for hexagon.

noun

1. A hexagonal space on a game board.
2. (climbing) a hexagon-shaped item of rock climbing equipment intended to be wedged into a crack or other opening in the rock.