cantrip

Meaning

  1. A spell or incantation; a trifling magic trick.
  2. A wilful piece of trickery or mischief.

Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈkæntɹɪp/
Etymology

In summary

From Middle Scots cantrip, cantrap (“a magic charm; a trick”). Further origin obscure, but likely a corruption of Scottish Gaelic canntaireachd (identical to Irish cantaireacht), referring to a system of musical notation consisting of a series of otherwise meaningless syllables memorised by pipers in learning their tunes; this was then used similarly to abracadabra. Regardless of details, ultimately derived from Latin cantō (“to sing, chant, play an instrument”).

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