enchantment
[ en-chant-muhnt, -chahnt- ]
/ ɛnˈtʃænt mənt, -ˈtʃɑnt- /
noun
the art, act, or an instance of enchanting.
the state of being enchanted.
something that enchants: Music is an enchantment that never fails.
RELATED CONTENT
What Does “Solstice” Mean?The summer solstice marks the longest day of the calendar year and the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. But what does the word solstice mean, and what does it have to do with Shakespeare? The term solstice is derived from the Latin scientific term solstitium. Containing the Latin sol– meaning “the sun” and sistere meaning “to make stand.” Today the term solstice is used to describe the …
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
Origin of enchantment
SYNONYMS FOR enchantment
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for enchantment
British Dictionary definitions for enchantment
enchantment
/ (ɪnˈtʃɑːntmənt) /
noun
the act of enchanting or state of being enchanted
a magic spell or act of witchcraft
great charm or fascination
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 enchantment
enchantment
late 13c., from Old French encantement, from enchanter "bewitch, charm," from Latin incantare, literally "enchant, cast a (magic) spell upon," from in- "upon, into" (see in- (2)) + cantare "to sing" (see chant (v.)). Figurative sense of "alluring" is from 1670s. Cf. Old English galdor "song," also "spell, enchantment," from galan "to sing," source of the second element in nightingale.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper