talisman

[ tal-is-muhn, -iz- ]
See synonyms for talisman on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural tal·is·mans.
  1. a stone, ring, or other object, engraved with figures or characters supposed to possess occult powers and worn as an amulet or charm.

  2. any amulet or charm.

  1. anything whose presence exercises a remarkable or powerful influence on human feelings or actions.

Origin of talisman

1
First recorded in 1630–40; from French talisman, Spanish talismán or other Romance language, from Arabic ṭilasm, from Late Greek télesmon “completion, performance, consecrated object,” from Greek télesma “payment, payment to be made, outlay, expense,” a derivative of teleîn “to complete, perform” + -ma noun suffix of result. The final -n in the western Europen languages is unexplained.

Other words from talisman

  • tal·is·man·ic [tal-is-man-ik, -iz-], /ˌtæl ɪsˈmæn ɪk, -ɪz-/, tal·is·man·i·cal, adjective
  • tal·is·man·i·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use talisman in a sentence

  • On the table were rosaries and talismans and candles of different lengths that it was evidently the girl's business to sell.

    Through the Wall | Cleveland Moffett
  • All the other so-called divine names used by the writers of talismans and charms are quite meaningless and absurd.

  • Magic squares seem to have been so called, from their being used in the construction of talismans.

  • Beneath the scarabs lay the jade talismans exquisitely carved and handed down from distant centuries.

    The Beauty | Mrs. Wilson Woodrow
  • To evade the unwholesome clutch, the limbs are ornamented with charms and talismans, with dead men's hair and leopards' teeth.

British Dictionary definitions for talisman

talisman

/ (ˈtælɪzmən) /


nounplural -mans
  1. a stone or other small object, usually inscribed or carved, believed to protect the wearer from evil influences

  2. anything thought to have magical or protective powers

Origin of talisman

1
C17: via French or Spanish from Arabic tilsam, from Medieval Greek telesma ritual, from Greek: consecration, from telein to perform a rite, complete, from telos end, result

Derived forms of talisman

  • talismanic (ˌtælɪzˈmænɪk), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012