abraxas

[ uh-brak-suh s ]

/ əˈbræk səs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR abraxas ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a word of unknown significance found on charms, especially amulets, of the late Greco-Roman world and linked with both Gnostic beliefs and magical practices by the early church fathers.

Nearby words

Origin of abraxas

From the Greek word abráxas, abrasáx, of obscure origin; the combined numerical value of the Gk letters is 365, an important figure in numerology

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for abraxas

Upon them were engraved mysterious hieroglyphs and figures, called Abraxas, and they are known as Abraxoides.
Scarabs|Isaac Myer
Ellopia ribearia, or the Currant-moth, was figured and described by Fitch as the Abraxas?
American Pomology|J. A. Warder
They quickly acquired a celebrity undi165minished for ages, and were known under the general name of Abraxas.
Three Thousand Years of Mental Healing|George Barton Cutten
Abraxas-stones were so called from having the word Abraxas or Abrasax engraved on them.
Finger-Ring Lore|William Jones

The breeding work concerns fowls, canaries, and the Currant moth (Abraxas grossulariata).
Evolution in Modern Thought|Ernst Haeckel

British Dictionary definitions for abraxas

abraxas

abrasax (əˈbræsəks)

/ (əˈbræksəs) /

noun

an ancient charm composed of Greek letters: originally believed to have magical powers and inscribed on amulets, etc, but from the second century ad personified by Gnostics as a deity, the source of divine emanations

Word Origin for abraxas

from Greek: invented word

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for abraxas