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charm

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charm

1[chahrm]
–noun
1. a power of pleasing or attracting, as through personality or beauty: charm of manner; the charm of a mountain lake.
2. a trait or feature imparting this power.
3. charms, attractiveness.
4. a trinket to be worn on a bracelet, necklace, etc.
5. something worn or carried on one's person for its supposed magical effect; amulet.
6. any action supposed to have magical power.
7. the chanting or recitation of a magic verse or formula.
8. a verse or formula credited with magical power.
9. Physics. a quantum number assigned the value +1 for one kind of quark, −1 for its antiquark, and 0 for all other quarks. Symbol: C Compare charmed quark.
–verb (used with object)
10. to delight or please greatly by beauty, attractiveness, etc.; enchant: She charmed us with her grace.
11. to act upon (someone or something) with or as with a compelling or magical force: to charm a bird from a tree.
12. to endow with or protect by supernatural powers.
13. to gain or influence through personal charm: He charmed a raise out of his boss.
–verb (used without object)
14. to be fascinating or pleasing.
15. to use charms.
16. to act as a charm.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME charme < OF < L carminem, acc. of carmen song, magical formula < *canmen (by dissimilation), equiv. to can(ere) to sing + -men n. suffix


charm⋅ed⋅ly [chahr-mid-lee] , adverb
charmer, noun
charmless, adjective
charm⋅less⋅ly, adverb


1. attractiveness, allurement. 4. bauble. 5. talisman. 6. enchantment, spell. 8. spell. 10. fascinate, captivate, entrance, enrapture, ravish; allure, bewitch.

charm

2[chahrm]
–noun British Dialect.
blended singing of birds, children, etc.

Origin:
bef. 1000; ME cherm(e), OE cerm, ceorm, var. of ci(e)rm outcry
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To charm
charm   (chärm)   
n.  
  1. The power or quality of pleasing or delighting; attractiveness: a breezy tropical setting of great charm.

  2. A particular quality that attracts; a delightful characteristic: A mischievous grin was among the child's many charms.

  3. A small ornament, such as one worn on a bracelet.

  4. An item worn for its supposed magical benefit, as in warding off evil; an amulet.

  5. An action or formula thought to have magical power.

  6. The chanting of a magic word or verse; incantation.

  7. Physics A quantum property of the charm quark whose conservation explains the absence of certain strange-particle decay modes and that accounts for the longevity of the J particle.

v.   charmed, charm·ing, charms

v.   tr.
  1. To attract or delight greatly: the simple elegance of the meal charmed the guests.

  2. To induce by using strong personal attractiveness: charmed the guard into admitting them without invitations.

  3. To cast or seem to cast a spell on; bewitch.

v.   intr.
  1. To be alluring or pleasing.

  2. To function as an amulet or charm.

  3. To use magic spells.


[Middle English charme, magic spell, from Old French, from Latin carmen, incantation; see kan- in Indo-European roots.]
charm'ing·ly adv., charm'less adj.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to attract strongly or irresistibly: manners that charmed the old curmudgeon; delicacies that beguile even the most discerning gourmet; a performance that bewitched the audience; a novel that captivates its readers; a child who enchanted his grandparents; music that entrances its listeners; a celebrity who fascinated his interviewer.
Antonym: repel
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

charm 
c.1300, from O.Fr. charme "incantation," from L. carmen "song, verse, enchantment," from canere "to sing" (see chant), with dissimilation of -n- to -r- before -m-. The notion is of chanting or reciting verses of magical power. Sense of "pleasing quality" first recorded 1598. Meaning "small trinket fastened to a watch-chain, etc." first recorded 1865.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Computing Dictionary

CHARM language
An explicitly parallel programming language based on C, for both shared and nonshared MIMD computers.
(ftp://a.cs.uiuc.edu/pub/CHARM).
Mailing list: .
["The CHARM(3.2) Programming Language Manual", UIUC, Dec 1992].
(2006-04-29)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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Idioms & Phrases

charm

In addition to the idioms beginning with charm, also see (charm the) pants off; work like a charm.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Abbreviations & Acronyms
CHARM
Coupled Hydrosphere—Atmosphere Research Model
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

charm

a practice or expression believed to have magic power, similar to an incantation or a spell. Charms are among the earliest examples of written literature. Among the charms written in Old English are those against a dwarf and against the theft of cattle. The word is from the Old French charme and the Latin carmen, "ritual utterance," "incantation," or "song."

Learn more about charm with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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