abrakadabra

From Latin abracadabra.

abrakadabra

1. abracadabra

• Mirjejev, V. A., Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary]‎^[1], Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN

First attested in the 19th century.^[1]

• IPA^(key): [ˈabrakadabra]

abrakadabra

1. abracadabra (said by someone doing magic or magical trick)

   Synonyms: simsalabim, čáry máry

• “abrakadabra”, in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu (in Czech)

From Latin abracadabra.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑbrɑkɑdɑbrɑ/, [ˈɑ̝brɑ̝kɑ̝ˌdɑ̝brɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑbrɑ
• Syllabification^(key): ab‧ra‧ka‧dab‧ra
• Hyphenation^(key): ab‧ra‧ka‧dab‧ra

abrakadabra

1. abracadabra (complicated technical or other jargon)

• salakieli, heprea

abrakadabra

1. abracadabra (used by performing magician to indicate the moment of performing a magical trick or illusion)

• hokkuspokkus

• “abrakadabra”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

From Late Latin abracadabra, a word used in magical writings, of uncertain origin, possibly from Thracian. Perhaps related to Abraxas (a Gnostic deity), and with various Aramaic or Hebrew terms, such as עברא כדברא (avra kedavra, literally “what was said has come to pass”), עַבְדָא כְּדַברָא (avda kedavara, literally “what was said has been done”); ארבע־אחד־ארבע (arba-eḥad-arba, literally “four-one-four”).

• IPA^(key): /ɑːbrakaˈdɑːbra/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːbra
• Hyphenation: ab‧ra‧ka‧dab‧ra

abrakadabra n (definite singular abrakadabraet, indefinite plural abrakadabra, definite plural abrakadabraa or abrakadabraene)

1. abracadabra (magic formula where the first line contains these letters)
2. (colloquial) magic potion, patent solution
   • 2009 September 6, Aftenposten, page 3:

     tviler … på at det finnes et abrakadabra for Midtøsten

     … doubts that there is an abracadabra for the Middle East

3. abracadabra (mumbo-jumbo; obscure language or technicalities; jargon.)
   • 1879, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Det ny System, page 156:

     her blev et abracadabra uden øren-lyd over al verden

     here became an abracadabra without ear-sound all over the world

   • 2000, Arild Nyquist, Sølvfiskene, page 19:

     de snakker et kaudervelsk abrakadabra

     they speak an uninteligible abracadabra

abrakadabra

1. abracadabra (used to indicate that a magic trick or other illusion has been performed.)
   • 1852, Henrik Wergeland, Samlede Skrifter II,5, page 340:

     abrakadabra! Styrt i støvet! Der kommer skyen tilbage af sig selv paa min kommando

     abracadabra! Steered in the dust! The cloud comes back by itself at my command

   Abrakadabra! Der lå den forsvunne hjerterkongen

   Abracadabra! There lay the missing King of Hearts

   Synonyms: simsalabim, hokus pokus

• magi (“magic”), overtro (“superstition”), trolldom (“magic”)

• “abrakadabra” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “abrakadabra” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
• “abrakadabra” in Store norske leksikon

Learned borrowing from Latin abracadabra. First attested in 1560.^[1]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -abra
• Syllabification: a‧bra‧ka‧da‧bra

abrakadabra

1. (occult) abracadabra! (said by performing magician to indicate the moment of performing a magical trick or illusion)

   Synonyms: czary-mary, bim sala bim, hokus-pokus

abrakadabra f

1. abracadabra, mumbo jumbo (complicated technical or other jargon)
2. (Middle Polish, occult) charm cast on amulets

   Hypernym: zaklęcie

• abrakadabra in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• abrakadabra in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• Włodzimierz Gruszczyński (01.12.2012) “ABRAKADABRA”, in Elektroniczny Słownik Języka Polskiego XVII i XVIII Wieku [Electronic Dictionary of the Polish Language of the XVII and XVIII Century]
• J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “abrakadabra”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 3
• abrakadabra in Narodowy Fotokorpus Języka Polskiego

• IPA^(key): [ˈabrakadabra]

abrakadabra

1. abracadabra (said by someone doing magic or magical trick)

• “abrakadabra”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

abrakadabra n

1. abracadabra

abrakadabra

1. abracadabra

   Synonym: simsalabim

• abrakadabra in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• abrakadabra in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• abrakadabra in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Borrowed from Spanish abracadabra, from Late Latin abracadabra. See also Ancient Greek ἀβράξας (abráxas).

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˌʔabɾakaˈdabɾa/ [ˌʔaː.bɾɐ.xɐˈd̪aː.bɾɐ], /ʔabɾakaˈdabɾa/ [ʔɐ.bɾɐ.xɐˈd̪aː.bɾɐ]
• Rhymes: -abɾa
• Syllabification: a‧bra‧ka‧da‧bra

ábrakadábra or abrakadabra (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜊ᜔ᜇᜃᜇᜊ᜔ᜇ)

1. abracadabra
2. mumbo jumbo; nonsense (meaningless words)

• “abrakadabra”, in KWF Diksiyonaryo ng Wikang Filipino, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2024
• “abrakadabra”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
• Cuadrado Muñiz, Adolfo (1972) Hispanismos en el tagalo: diccionario de vocablos de origen español vigentes en esta lengua filipina, Madrid: Oficina de Educación Iberoamericana, page 4

Borrowed from French abracadabra.

abrakadabra (definite accusative abrakadabrayı, uncountable)

1. abracadabra

• “abrakadabra”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu