cantrip
Meaning
- A spell or incantation; a trifling magic trick.
- 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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Notes