Amulet

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæm.jə.lɪt/

Definitions

1. A small, often decorative object believed to provide spiritual protection or attract good fortune when worn or carried
2. An ornament or charm that is worn or carried to offer protection from harm or misfortune and is often considered to have magical significance or spiritual power
3. A small object worn or kept to defend against evil influences or danger

Etymology: The Latin "amuletum" behind the modern word has an uncertain origin, and no etymological consensus traces it to a clear earlier source. It passed into French as "amulette," and English took the word from that French form. The English term therefore arrived by way of French rather than directly from Latin. The sense has stayed largely constant: an object carried on the body to guard against harm, whether a stone, a bead, or an inscribed scrap. Beyond the Latin form, the record does not reveal a clear ancestor, so the name's history ends in uncertainty rather than a single traceable origin.

Synonyms: talisman, charm, amulet