incantation
Americannoun
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the chanting or uttering of words purporting to have magical power.
-
the formula employed; a spell or charm.
-
magical ceremonies.
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magic; sorcery.
- Synonyms:
- wizardry, black magic, witchcraft
-
repetitious wordiness used to conceal a lack of content; obfuscation.
Her prose too often resorts to incantation.
noun
-
ritual recitation of magic words or sounds
-
the formulaic words or sounds used; a magic spell
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of incantation
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin incantātiōn- (stem of incantātiō ), equivalent to incantāt ( us ) past participle of incantāre to put a spell on, bewitch ( see enchant, -ate 1) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
"Double, double toil and trouble / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble." These lines, cackled by the Weird Sisters in Shakespeare's Macbeth, are part of the most famous incantation — or magic spell made of words — in English literature. Incantation shares a Latin source with enchant, both of which are related to chant. An incantation, then, summons a thing or action into being with words that are sung, spoken, or written. Long before it became the catchword of stage magicians, abracadabra was regarded as a powerful incantation capable of warding off serious disease. The phrase hocus pocus may be a corruption of a 17th-century incantation spoken during the Roman Catholic liturgy of the Eucharist, "hoc est corpus meum" ("this is my body").
Vocabulary lists containing incantation
Lord of the Flies
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The Hobbit
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"The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We’ve been asking Amoeba for maybe four or five years” to be on “What’s in My Bag?,” says Blood Incantation guitarist-vocalist Paul Riedl.
From Washington Post • Jan. 5, 2023
On screen, the members of Blood Incantation are explaining their finds to the person holding the camera, but they’re ultimately in conversation with one another.
From Washington Post • Jan. 5, 2023
The Living Tribunal addresses Doctor Strange by bellowing: “Now shall be pronounced the Incantation of Oblivion and your puny planet shall exist – NEVERMORE!!”
From The Guardian • Nov. 2, 2016
The world premiere of Fairouz's "Incantation and Dabnek" is one example.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 15, 2012
Therefore, 'tis my occupation So at present, Incantation!
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 98, February 22nd, 1890 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
