magic

Etymology

From Middle English magik, magyk, from Old French magique (noun and adjective), from Latin magicus (adjective), magica (noun use of feminine form of magicus), from Ancient Greek μαγικός (magikós, “magical”), from μάγος (mágos, “magus”). Ultimately from Old Iranian, probably derived from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂gʰ- (“to be able to, to help; power, sorcerer”). Displaced native Old English ġealdor.

noun

1. The application of rituals or actions, especially those based on occult knowledge, to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces in order to have some benefit from them.
   And whan he shall be arrayed as I telle you / lete hym thenne doo his incantacyons & his magyke as he wyll […]. c. 1489, Foure Sonnes of Aymon, William Caxton
   The arts of magic and divination were strictly prohibited. 1781, Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, II.23
   Does not the very name stir the heart … with a thrill more mysterious and romantic than any allusion to the magics of Egypt or Hind? 1928, Lewis Spence, Mysteries of Britain, page viii. 192
   Conversions to the new religion […] have frequently been assisted by the view of converts that they are acquiring not just a means of otherworldly salvation, but a new and more powerful magic. 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 23
2. A specific ritual or procedure associated with such magic; a spell.
   And she can turn people into stone and do all kinds of horrible things. And she has made a magic so that it is always winter in Narnia—always winter, but it never gets to Christmas. 1950, C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
3. The supernatural forces which are drawn on in such a ritual.
4. (gaming, countable) The ability to cast a magic spell.
   I learned a new magic after rescuing the tree fairy.
5. Something producing successful and remarkable results, especially when not fully understood; an enchanting quality; exceptional skill.
   We began to take Santa Claus to the kids at the isolated sidings for the same reason men all over Australia on the lines back o' beyond did … we didn't want them to miss that magic. 1969, Patsy Adam-Smith, Folklore of the Australian Railwaymen, Melbourne: Macmillan, page 151
   1. (computing, slang) Complicated or esoteric code that is not expected to be generally understood.
      The stringstream class hides a lot of string parsing magic from us at this point. 2017, Jacek Galowicz, C++17 STL Cookbook, page 257
6. A conjuring trick or illusion performed to give the appearance of supernatural phenomena or powers.
7. The art or practice of performing conjuring tricks and illusions.

adj

1. Having supernatural talents, properties or qualities attributed to magic.
   a magic wand
   a magic dragon
2. Producing extraordinary results, as though through the use of magic.
   a magic moment
3. Pertaining to conjuring tricks or illusions performed for entertainment etc.
   a magic show
   a magic trick
4. (colloquial) Great; excellent.
   I cleaned up the flat while you were out. —Really? Magic!
5. (physics) Describing the number of nucleons in a particularly stable isotopic nucleus; 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82, 126, and 184.
6. (programming) Being a literal number or string value with no meaning or context, not defined as a constant or variable
   The code is full of magic numbers and we can't figure out what they mean.

verb

1. (transitive) To produce, transform (something), (as if) by magic.
   He pictured them standing about the dim hallway, magicked into immobility, glazed and mute, one with a hand raised, another bending to set down a bag, and Licht before them, nodding and twitching like a marionette, as usual. 1993, John Banville, Ghosts
   The Western professionals magic so much money offshore that it is impossible to put a reliable figure on it. 2018, Oliver Bullough, chapter 8, in Moneyland, Profile Books, page 132
   None can be magicked overnight. October 6 2021, Philip Haigh, “Rail freight has a key role in boosting Britain's resilience”, in RAIL, number 941, page 47