Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A magical charm or incantation having the power to ward off disease or disaster.
- noun Foolish or unintelligible talk.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A cabalistic word used in incantations. When written in a manner similar to that shown in the accompanying diagram, so as to be read in different directions, and worn as an amulet, it was supposed to cure certain ailments.
- noun Hence Any word-charm or empty jingle of words.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A mystical word or collocation of letters written as in the figure. Worn on an amulet it was supposed to ward off fever. At present the word is used chiefly in jest to denote something without meaning; jargon.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- interjection Used to
indicate that amagic trick or otherillusion has beenperformed . - noun Complicated
technicalities ,jargon that one does not understand much if at all.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun gibberish and nonsense
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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I came across another source that noted that “abracadabra is derived from an Aramaic phrase (Avarah K’Davarah) meaning, ‘I will create as I speak.’”
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It is not amiss to consider this spell of potency, this abracadabra, that is hung about the necks of the unhappy, not to heal, but to communicate disease.
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 06 (of 12) Edmund Burke 1763
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Answer: "Say 'abracadabra' ten times while holding a rabbit's foot in the left hand at the crack of dawn."
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Answer: "Say 'abracadabra' ten times while holding a rabbit's foot in the left hand at the crack of dawn."
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Answer: "Say 'abracadabra' ten times while holding a rabbit's foot in the left hand at the crack of dawn."
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Answer: "Say 'abracadabra' ten times while holding a rabbit's foot in the left hand at the crack of dawn."
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Top picture, Crown Trpupe, the dance drama group performs 'abracadabra'.
More Osundare Winner of the Prince Claus Award 2006 2007
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Top picture, Crown Trpupe, the dance drama group performs 'abracadabra'.
Archive 2007-03-01 Winner of the Prince Claus Award 2006 2007
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At the sound of the snapping fingers and his hoarse-voiced "abracadabra," a dirty pot of hot and greasy stew came into existence.
The Sky Is Falling Lester Del Rey 1954
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The word Abraxas is thought by some to be the origin of the word "abracadabra", though this word also has other sources cited as being its origin.
mikeropology commented on the word abracadabra
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December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word abracadabra
Is there an echo in here?
December 14, 2007
hernesheir commented on the word abracadabra
This word is a palindrome of sorts: the pattern of consonants and vowels "reads" the same forwards and backwards -- vccvcvcvccv -- now that's magical.
Another magic word, hocus pocus, is similar: cvcvccvcvc
July 9, 2010
marky commented on the word abracadabra
supposedly means "I will create when I speak"
November 8, 2013