counter-magic

counter-magic

See also: countermagic

English

Alternative forms

• countermagic

Etymology

From counter- +‎ magic.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkaʊntəˌmadʒɪk/

Noun

counter-magic (uncountable)

1. Magic used to counteract or protect against a spell or enchantment.
   • 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society 2012, p. 563:

     After 1736 when the possibility of formal prosecution was no longer open, villagers turned to informal violence, counter-magic and the occasional lynching.

   • 2003, William E Burns, Witch Hunts in Europe and America: An Encyclopedia, page 58:

     Particularly in Catholic areas, countermagic could employ sacred objects such as holy water or consecrated wafers, or the recitation of particular prayers.

   • 2017, Ronald Hutton, The Witch, Yale University Press 2018, p. 25:

     The Lisu of the northern Thai highlands feared witchcraft acutely but relied on service magicians or private counter-magic to keep them at bay.