definition of the word abracadabra

Wikipedia has an article on:

Abracadabra

Wikipedia

Magical word used in certain Gnostic writings, relation to Greek Abraxas, a Gnostic deity.

It may also be a corruption of the Aramaic term עַבְדָא כְּדַברָא, avda kedavra, which means, "what was said has been done"; or perhaps, ,עברא כדברא, avra kedavra; "what has said has come to pass." This may be the source of the Avada Kedavra killing curse in the Harry Potter books.

•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

abracadabra (uncountable)

1. Originally, a mystical word or collocation of letters written as in the figure. Worn on an amulet it was supposed to ward off fever.
2. A supposedly 'magic' word associated with stage magic and conjuring.

   The magician waved his wand and said abracadabra before he pulled a rabbit out of the hat.

3. A noun meaning "complicated technicalities" and similar (from Def #2)

   I don't know all the theoretical abracadabra about how it works, I'm only its pilot.

4. A word used chiefly in jest to denote something without meaning; jargon.

Definition from Wiktionary Content avaible with GNU Free Documentation License

---

2007-2012 © wordbyletter.com

---