First Known Use: 1919
Dictionary
Svengali
noun Sven·ga·li \sven-ˈgä-lē, sfen-\
Definition of SVENGALI
: a person who manipulates or exerts excessive control over another
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Origin of SVENGALI
Svengali, villainous hypnotist in the novel Trilby (1894) by George du Maurier
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