Abracadabra

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Abracadabra \Ab`ra*ca*dab"ra\, n. [L. Of unknown origin.]
     A mystical word or collocation of letters written as in the
     figure. Worn on an amulet it was supposed to ward off fever.
     At present the word is used chiefly in jest to denote
     something without meaning; jargon.
     [1913 Webster]



From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  abracadabra
       n : gibberish and nonsense

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  ABRACADABRA.
  
      By _Abracadabra_ we signify
          An infinite number of things.
      'Tis the answer to What? and How? and Why?
      And Whence? and Whither? -- a word whereby
          The Truth (with the comfort it brings)
      Is open to all who grope in night,
      Crying for Wisdom's holy light.
  
      Whether the word is a verb or a noun
          Is knowledge beyond my reach.
      I only know that 'tis handed down.
              From sage to sage,
              From age to age --
          An immortal part of speech!
  
      Of an ancient man the tale is told
      That he lived to be ten centuries old,
          In a cave on a mountain side.
          (True, he finally died.)
      The fame of his wisdom filled the land,
      For his head was bald, and you'll understand
          His beard was long and white
          And his eyes uncommonly bright.
  
      Philosophers gathered from far and near
      To sit at his feat and hear and hear,
              Though he never was heard
              To utter a word
          But "_Abracadabra, abracadab_,
              _Abracada, abracad_,
          _Abraca, abrac, abra, ab!_"
              'Twas all he had,
      'Twas all they wanted to hear, and each
      Made copious notes of the mystical speech,
              Which they published next --
              A trickle of text
      In the meadow of commentary.
          Mighty big books were these,
          In a number, as leaves of trees;
      In learning, remarkably -- very!
  
              He's dead,
              As I said,
      And the books of the sages have perished,
      But his wisdom is sacredly cherished.
      In _Abracadabra_ it solemnly rings,
      Like an ancient bell that forever swings.
              O, I love to hear
              That word make clear
      Humanity's General Sense of Things.
                                                         Jamrach Holobom