charm
charm / chärm/ • n. 1. the power or quality of giving delight or arousing admiration: he was captivated by her youthful charm. ∎ (usu. charms) an attractive or alluring characteristic: the charms of the city.2. a small ornament worn on a necklace or bracelet.3. an object, act, or saying believed to have magic power. ∎ an object kept or worn to ward off evil and bring good luck.4. Physics one of six flavors of quark.• v. [tr.] 1. delight greatly: the books have charmed children the world over. ∎ gain or influence by charm: he charmed her into going out.2. control or achieve by or as if by magic: pretending to charm a cobra she will charm your warts away.PHRASES: turn on the charm use one's ability to charm in order to influence someone.work like a charm be completely successful or effective.ORIGIN: Middle English (in the senses ‘incantation or magic spell’ and ‘to use spells’): from Old French charme (noun), charmer (verb), from Latin carmen ‘song, verse, incantation.’
