Abracadabra
[a-brə-kə-DAB-rə]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Latin, late 17th century
1.
(exclamation) A word said by magicians when performing a magic trick.
2.
The implausibly easy achievement of difficult feats.
Examples of Abracadabra in a sentence
"The 'abracadabra!' was accompanied by a quick puff of smoke from the wand."
"It seems like a lot of work, but with a little abracadabra we'll get this garage cleaned out in an afternoon."
About Abracadabra
When a child learns their first magic trick, they’re taught to shout “abracadabra!” at the big reveal. But this word isn’t only used as a magical exclamation. It’s also a handy little term to describe difficult feats that appear easy. “Oh, it’s just a bit of abracadabra!”
Did you Know?
If you have a fever, why not try abracadabra? Second-century Roman author Quintus Serenus Sammonicus gave instructions for an amulet used to ward off fever. He prescribed to write the word abracadabra repeatedly on a piece of papyrus, dropping off the last letter each time. When abracadabra disappeared, so would the fever. Or maybe just try aspirin.
