Conjure

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈkʌn.d͡ʒə/

Definitions

1. To summon or bring into existence through magical power or seemingly supernatural means
2. To cause something to appear or happen as if by supernatural means ; to create or produce something seemingly from nowhere ; to remind someone of something or cause a memory or image to appear
3. To summon an object or entity in a magical or mystical way ; to bring something into existence in an unexpected or surprising manner ; to evoke a memory, image, or feeling in someone's mind

Etymology: The most striking thing about "conjure" is how far its meaning has drifted from its oath-swearing roots. Latin "coniūrō" meant "to swear together," and the sense of binding people through a shared pledge is where the word started. From there it passed into Old French as "conjurer," and it was the idea of collective vows that gave rise to the notion of conspiring, a sense the Latin word carried from the start. The magical sense developed later, as the idea of binding oneself by oath shifted toward calling up or compelling a supernatural power by solemn formula. English borrowed the word in its Middle English form "conjuren," bringing the ideas of oath-taking and sworn agreement with it. The modern senses, summoning something by magic, producing something unexpectedly, or stirring a memory, all grew out of that older core of formal, binding speech.

Synonyms: summon, invoke, produce

Antonyms: dismiss, disperse