Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

ABRACADABRA

Online Encyclopedia

Originally appearing in Volume V01, Page 69 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.

» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.

Encyclopedia Home :: A10-ADA

Spread the word:

del.icio.us it!

ABRACADABRA , a word analogous to See also:

ABRAXAS, or ABRASAX

Abraxas (q.v.), used as a magical See also:

formula by the Gnostics of the See also:

SECT

sect of See also:

BASILIDES

Basilides in invoking the aid of beneficent See also:

SPIRITS

spirits against disease and misfortune. It is found on Abraxas stones which were worn as amulets. Subsequently its use spread beyond the Gnostics, and in See also:

MODERN

modern times it is applied contemptuously (e g. by the See also:

early opponents of the See also:

EVOLUTION

evolution theory) to a conception or See also:

HYPOTHESIS (from Gr. inrorcOivat, to put under; cf. Lat. suppositio, from sub-ponere)

hypothesis which purports to be a See also:

SIMPLE

simple See also:

SOLUTION (from Lat. solvere, to loosen, dissolve)

solution of apparently insoluble phenomena. The Gnostic physician See also:

Serenus Sammonicus gave precise instructions as to its mystical use in averting or curing agues and fevers generally. The See also:

paper on which the word was written had to be folded in the See also:

FORM (Lat. forma)

form of a See also:

CROSS

cross, suspended from the See also:

NECK (O. Eng. hnecca; the word appears in many Teutonic languages; cf. Dutch ride, Ger. Nacken; in O. E. the common word was heals; cf. Ger. Hals)

neck by a See also:

STRIP

strip of See also:

LINEN

linen so as to See also:

REST (O. Eng. rest, reste, bed, cognate with other Teutonic forms, e.g. Ger. Rast, Riiste, rest, and probably Gothic Rasta, league, i.e. resting or stopping place)

rest on the See also:

PIT (O. E. pytt, cognate with Du. put, Ger. Pfutze, &c., all ultimately adaptations of Lat. puteus, well, formed from root pu-, to cleanse, whence gurus, clean, pure)

pit of the See also:

STOMACH (Gr. vrbsaxos from arbga, a mouth)

stomach, worn in this way for nine days, and then, before sunrise, See also:

CAST (from the verb meaning " to throw "; the word is Scand. in origin, cf. Dan. kaste, and Swed. kasta; " cast " in Middle Eng. took the place of the A.S. weor pan, cf. Ger. werf en)

cast behind the wearer into a stream See also:

RUNNING

running to the See also:

east.

End of Article: ABRACADABRA

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.

» Add information or comments to this article.

Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.

Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
ABRABANEL, ISAAC

[next]
ABRAHAM A SANCTA CLARA (1644—1709)