What is "abracadabra"

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.

magical formula, 1690s, from Latin (Q. Severus Sammonicus, 2c.), from Late Greek Abraxas, cabalistic or gnostic name for the supreme god, and thus a word of power. It was written out in a triangle shape and worn around the neck to ward off sickness, etc. Another magical word, from a mid-15c. writing, was ananizapta.

interj. (non-gloss definition: Used to indicate that a magic trick or other illusion has been performed.) (from 19th c.) n. 1 A use of the mystical term ‘abracadabra’, supposed to work as part of a healing charm or a magical spell; any spell or incantation making use of the word. (from 16th c.) 2 mumbo-jumbo; obscure language or technicality; jargon. (from 19th c.)

n. gibberish and nonsense

Abracadabra is an incantation used as a magic word in stage magic tricks, and historically was believed to have healing powers when inscribed on an amulet.

Abracadabra is an incantation used by stage magicians, and formerly in Gnosticism and ancient Roman medicine.

Abracadabra may also refer to:

Abracadabra is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Steve Miller Band, released in June 1982 by Capitol Records in North America and Mercury Records in Europe.

Abracadabra charted in nine countries, including Germany where the record reached #1 for a week. Three singles were released from the album, the title track, "Cool Magic", and "Give It Up", respectively, with the title song charting the highest.

Abracadabra is the sixth studio album by the British band ABC, released in August 1991 on EMI. It was the final ABC album to feature founding member Mark White, who departed the band in 1992.

ABC moved to the EMI label, where they recorded the LP Abracadabra, a tightly produced fusion of early 1990s techno sounds and 1970s dance grooves which was met with muted critical approval and appreciation from the band's fan base.

The first single, " Love Conquers All", peaked at No. 47 on the UK Singles Chart and remixes of " Say It" (done by Black Box) were well received on the US dance charts.

"Abracadabra" is a song by American rock group Steve Miller Band, written by Steve Miller. The song was released as the first single from the 1982 album of the same name the same year (see 1982 in music). The song is said to have been inspired by the American singer Diana Ross with whom Miller had met while performing together on Hullabaloo in the 1960s and is listed at #70 on Billboard Greatest Songs of all time.

The song became a worldwide hit, charting in ten countries and topping the charts in six countries, and has become one of the band's biggest hits, along with " The Joker" and " Rock'n Me".

In the U.S., the song was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two non-consecutive weeks. It was knocked off the top by Chicago's " Hard to Say I'm Sorry", only to return to #1 two weeks later. A similar occurrence happened in 1976, when Steve Miller Band's " Rock'n Me" knocked Chicago's " If You Leave Me Now" out of the #1 spot.

The UK single version has never yet appeared on CD. It is 3:33 and is an exclusive edit where the chorus is edited back in at 3:06 and repeats to fade. The non-UK single version of the song appears in several Steve Miller Band compilation albums such as Young Hearts as well as on the Time-Life compilation Sounds of the Eighties: 1980–1982 and on a CD of songs hand-picked by Guy Fieri titled Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: Road Songs That Rock. Capitol issued an alternative version on a promotional 12" single (Capitol Records #SPRO 9797) for radio airplay; it featured a slightly slower tempo, removal of the second verse and first chorus, and a slightly earlier fade than the LP version. A live version of the song was released on Steve Miller Band Live! in 1983.

Abracadabra is a 2006 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his tenth studio album and was on April 18, 2006. It achieved huge success in France and Belgium (Wallonia) where it remained charted respectively for 66 and 22 weeks, including a peak at #2. It provided a sole hit single, "Là où je t'emmènerai" (#4 in France, #7 in Belgium, #39 in Switzerland). There is also an edition including a DVD released on November 13, 2006, under Universal Music label.

Abracadabra is a 1952 Italian film directed by Max Neufeld.

"Abracadabra" ( Hangul: 아브라카다브라) is a song by Korean girl group Brown Eyed Girls. Released as the second single from Sound-G in 2009, it marked a change in the group's image and style. The song topped various on- and offline charts, including a 3-week chart-topping run on music portal M.Net.

Abracadabra is the fourth album by English singer-songwriter Claire Hamill, released in 1975.

Abracadabra is a text adventure game developed by Odisea Software and published by Proein Soft Line only in Spanish for the Amstrad CPC, MSX and ZX Spectrum in 1988.