abracadabra

abracadabra , magical formula used by the Gnostics (see Gnosticism ) to invoke the aid of benevolent spirits to ward off disease and affliction. It is supposed to be derived from the abraxas, a word that was engraved on gems and amulets or was variously worn as a protective charm. Handed down through the Middle Ages, the abracadabra gradually lost its occult significance, and its meaning was extended to cover any hocus-pocus.

abracadabra a word said by conjurors when performing a magic trick. The term is recorded from the late 17th century, as a mystical word engraved and used as a charm against illness; it comes from Latin (from a Greek base), and is first recorded in a 2nd-century poem.

ab·ra·ca·dab·ra / ˌabrəkəˈdabrə/ • interj. a word said by magicians when performing a magic trick. • n. inf. an implausibly easy effort to achieve a seemingly difficult feat: a little abracadabra, and you've got chocolate mousse. ∎  language, typically in the form of gibberish, used to give the impression of arcane knowledge or power.