Fact of the Day : In the Harry Potter books what is a death eater? (from Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable)
Death Eater. In the Harry POTTER books, any of the wizards who are attracted enough to the Dark Arts to throw in their lot with the evil genius Lord Voldemort and become one of his faithful followers.
While many of them end up imprisoned in AZKABAN, many more remain at large, concealing their true allegiance, awaiting a chance to flex their wands and use the taboo ‘unforgivable curses’, the worst of which is ‘avada kedavra’, the death curse.
The term first occurs in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000), and it suggests the degree to which these fanatics metaphorically gorge on everything that is evil.
How to cite this entry:
"Death Eater" Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable. Edited by John Ayto and Ian Crofton. Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. 25 February 2012
