Abracadabra

Part of speech: interjection

Pronunciation: /ˌæbɹəkəˈdæbɹə/

Definitions

1. A mystical exclamation commonly used to perform magic or create illusions
2. A phrase uttered to invoke magic or supernatural effects ; a word spoken to charm or bring about a magical impression despite lacking real meaning
3. An expression historically voiced to produce magical results or spells ; a seemingly meaningless term used to mystify or enchant

Etymology: Abracadabra is one of the few words whose strongest association is with its own mystique. The earliest surviving uses are in Late Latin, where it appears as a term for a charm or incantation, and it was borrowed into English as a learned word from that Latin form. Its exact origin is not settled. It may come from a Semitic phrase, though no such source has been confirmed, and scholars have long debated whether the word once carried a specific meaning or was simply a string of syllables chosen for its sound. The most famous use of the word was not as a spell but as a written device. Writers and healers recommended a triangular arrangement of the letters, with the full word at the top and one letter dropped at each line below, until only "A" remained at the point. The wearer was meant to hang the inscription around the neck, with the shrinking letters supposed to carry away an illness as it faded. Whatever its earlier history, this diagram is what fixed the word's connection to charms and cures. Over time the word lost its ritual weight and became a stage cry for conjurors and a byword for nonsense. Its meaning moved from a practical healing formula to a word that announces magic while meaning nothing in particular.