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charm

Syllabification: (charm)
Pronunciation: /CHärm/

Translate charm | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of charm

noun

  • 1the power or quality of giving delight or arousing admiration:he was captivated by her youthful charm
  • (usually charms) an attractive or alluring characteristic:the hidden charms of the city
  • 2a small ornament worn on a necklace or bracelet.
  • 3an object, act, or saying believed to have magic power:the dreamcatcher is a charm used to prevent bad dreams
  • an object kept or worn to ward off evil and bring good luck:a good luck charm
  • 4 Physics one of six flavors of quark.

verb

[with object]
  • 1delight greatly:the books have charmed children the world over
  • gain or influence by charm:he charmed her into going out
  • 2control or achieve by or as if by magic:pretending to charm a cobra [with adverbial]:she will charm your warts away

Phrases

turn on the charm

use one’s ability to charm in order to influence someone.

work like a charm

be completely successful or effective.

Origin:

Middle English (in the senses 'incantation or magic spell' and 'to use spells'): from Old French charme (noun), charmer (verb), from Latin carmen 'song, verse, incantation'

charm in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of charm in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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