abracadabra
See also: abra-cadabra
English
Etymology
From Late Latin abracadabra, a word used in magical writings, of unknown origin. Relationships have been suggested with Abraxas (a Gnostic deity), and with various Aramaic or Hebrew terms עַבְרָא כְּדַבְרָא (avra kedavra, literally “what was said has come to pass”), עַבְדָא כְּדַבְרָא (avda kedavara, literally “what was said has been done”); אַרְבַּע-אֶחַד-אַרְבַּע (arba-eḥad-arba, literally “four-one-four”),[1] but there is little supporting evidence.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˌabɹəkəˈdabɹə/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˌæ.bɹə.kəˈdæ.bɹə/
Audio (US, California) (file)
Noun
abracadabra (plural abracadabras)
- A use of the mystical term ‘abracadabra’, supposed to work as part of a healing charm or a magical spell; any spell or incantation making use of the word. [from 16th c.]
- 1851, Hugh A. Garland, quoting John Randolph of Roanoke, “The Virginia Convention—Every Change is Not Reform”, in The Life of John Randolph of Roanoke, volume II, New York: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 1965434, page 329:
- Where is the necessity of this provision in the Constitution? […] Can anyone believe that we, by any amendments of ours, by any of our scribbling on that parchment, by any amulet, any legerdemain—charm—Abrecadabra—of ours can prevent our sons from doing the same thing—that is, from doing as they please, just as we are doing as we please? It is impossible. Who can bind posterity?
- 2012 August 28, Georgina Turner, The Guardian:
- With a quiet bank holiday afternoon to fill, the Mill yesterday dug out the old magic kit, brushed the cobwebs off its top hat and practiced a few abracadabras.
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- Mumbo-jumbo; obscure language or technicalities; jargon. [from 19th c.]
- I don’t know all the theoretical abracadabra about how it works, I’m only its pilot.
- 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society 2012, page 335:
- Astrology was not specifically banned in the statutes against witchcraft, but so long as its technicalities remained abracadabra to the lay public there was always a risk that the practitioner might find himself arrested for sorcery.
Translations
use of term abracadabra
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mumbo-jumbo
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Interjection
abracadabra
- Used to indicate that a magic trick or other illusion has been performed. [from 19th c.]
- Synonym: hey presto
- 1971, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle and the Magic Zodiac, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 49:
- Next, the conjuror filled a glass with water from a big jug and then covered the tumbler with a cloth. "Abracadabra," he cried and crumpled the cloth.
Translations
used to indicate that a magic trick or other illusion has been performed
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References
- http://www.scribd.com/doc/14656725/Abracadabra
Further reading
- abracadabra at OneLook Dictionary Search
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /a.bʁa.ka.da.bʁa/
Audio (file)
Interjection
abracadabra
- abracadabra
Derived terms
- abracadabrant
Noun
abracadabra m (plural abracadabras)
- an unspecified magical formula
- (historical) a mystical word from kabbalism
Further reading
- “abracadabra”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Italian
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀβρακαδάβρα (abrakadábra).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /a.bra.kaˈda.bra/
- Rhymes: -abra
- Hyphenation: a‧bra‧ca‧dà‧bra
Noun
abracadabra m (invariable)
- abracadabra (mumbo-jumbo)
Interjection
abracadabra
- abracadabra
Further reading
- abracadabra in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
Latin
Etymology
Unknown. See English abracadabra.
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ab.raˈka.da.bra/, [äbräˈkäd̪äbrä]
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ab.raˈka.da.bra/, [äbräˈkäːd̪äbrä]
Interjection
abracadabra
- abracadabra
- c. 200 CE, Quintus Serenus Sammonicus, Liber Medicinalis :
- Inscrībis chartae quod dīcitur "abracadabra",
Saepius, et subter repetis, sed dētrahe summae,
Ut magis atque magis dēsint elementa figūrīs
Singula, quae semper rapiēs, et cētera fīgēs,
dōnec in angustum redigātur littera cōnum:
Hīs līnō nexīs collum redimīre mementō.- Write on a piece of paper the word abracadabra, repeating it below while taking away the last letter, so that a single letter is further and further lacking, until it has the shape of a cone: remember to surround the [patient's] neck with linen with the paper hanging from it.
- Inscrībis chartae quod dīcitur "abracadabra",
Portuguese
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /a.bɾa.kaˈda.bɾɐ/
- (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /a.bɾa.kaˈda.bɾa/
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /a.bɾɐ.kɐˈda.bɾɐ/ [a.βɾɐ.kɐˈða.βɾɐ]
- Rhymes: -abɾɐ
- Hyphenation: a‧bra‧ca‧da‧bra
Interjection
abracadabra
- abracadabra (used to indicate that a magic trick or other illusion has been performed)
Romanian
Etymology
From French abracadabra or Italian abracadabra.
Interjection
abracadabra
- abracadabra
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /abɾakaˈdabɾa/ [a.β̞ɾa.kaˈð̞a.β̞ɾa]
- Rhymes: -abɾa
- Syllabification: a‧bra‧ca‧da‧bra
Interjection
abracadabra
- abracadabra
Usage notes
The Royal Spanish Academy treats this word as a masculine noun. For the gender, compare other words of Greek origin that end in -a, such as diploma or idioma.
Further reading
- “abracadabra”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014