[L.; origin unknown. Occurs first in a poem by Q. Severus Sammonicus, 2nd c.] A cabalistic word, formerly used as a charm, and believed to have the power, when written in a triangular arrangement, and worn round the neck, to cure agues, etc. Now often used in the general sense of a spell, or pretended conjuring word; a meaningless word of mysterious sound; jargon, gibberish.
1696. Aubrey, Misc., 105. Abracadabra, a Mysterious Word, to which the Superstitious in former times attributed a Magical power to expel Diseases, especially the Tertian-Ague, worn about their neck.
1810. Bentham, Art of Packing (1821), 124. Thereby, in legal abracadabra, like man and wife, but one person.
1824. Coleridge, Aids to Refl. (1848), I. 130. Leave him … to retaliate the nonsense of blasphemy with the abracadabra of presumption.
1860. T. A. G. Balfour, Typ. Charac. Nat., 118. Abrá, which is here twice repeated, is composed of the first letters of the Hebrew words signifying Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, viz Ab, Ben, Ruach, Acadosch.
1879. Lit. World (N.S.), XX. 5 Dec., 358/2. As for M. Lefevre, he is so satisfied of the magic of the new abracadabra of science, ‘organic evolution’ that he is able to evolve a whole universe out of the fifty-six primordial atoms by his help.
