abraxasn.

Brit.

/əˈbraksəs/, U.S.

/əˈbræksəs/

Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: French abraxas; Latin Abraxas.

Etymology: < French abraxas (apparently 1713 (in the passage translated in quot. 1713) denoting an instance of the magical word; 1749 or earlier denoting an utterance of the magical word used as a charm; 1751 denoting an amulet inscribed with the magical word) and its etymon post-classical Latin Abraxas, name given by the Basilidians to the ruler of the 365 heavens (3rd cent.) < Hellenistic Greek Ἀβράξας (in papyri containing texts on magic; more commonly as Ἀβράςαξ : see abrasax n.), of unknown origin. Compare earlier abracadabra n., and see discussion at that entry.In the Greek system of alphabetic numerology the letters of Ἀβράξας add up to the number 365. With abraxas stone n. compare German Abraxasstein (1819 or earlier in plural Abraxas-Steine).

An instance or utterance of the magical word ‘abraxas’, supposed (esp. in Gnosticism) to act as a charm; a gem, amulet, etc., inscribed with this word or other cabbalistic signs. Cf. abracadabra n. 1a, abrasax n.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > enchantment or casting spells > [noun] > spell > incantation > word used in or as

abracadabra1565

hocus-pocus1632

prestoa1640

abraxas1713

abrasax1737

sesame1785

open sesame1814

karakia1832

white rabbits1905

1569 J. Sanford tr. H. C. Agrippa Of Vanitie Artes & Sci. xxxi But of the same fountaine did the Heresie of Basilides springe, who saide, that there were three hundreth three scoare and fiue heauens made togeather by succession and likenesse, and the shewinge of these to be the number of daies of the yeare, assigninge to euery of them certaine beginninges, vertues, and Angels and deuising names for them: & the chiefest of al to be Abraxas whiche woorde in Greeke containeth in it CCClxv. as many truely as there be places of the heauens found out and inuented by him.]

1713 tr. L. E. Du Pin Compend. Hist. Church II. iv. 35 They made Use of the Word Abraxas [Fr. (ed. 2, 1714) Abraxas] as a Mysterious Term, because the Letters of that Word in Cyphers make 365.

1742 W. Warburton Divine Legation Moses (ed. 2) II. iv. iv. 154 These Gems called Abraxas.

1769 T. Smollett Hist. & Adventures Atom I. 199 The figure of St. George encountering the dragon..was no other originally than the device of an abraxas or amulet wore by the Basilidians, as a charm against infection.

1788 Encycl. Brit. I. 24 It is disputed whether the Veronica of Montreuil, or the granite obelisk mentioned by Gori, be Abraxases.

1851 Southern Literary Messenger Aug. 462/1 We deride the Alchemists who pored by day over their Abraxas or Abracadabra.

1910 Encycl. Brit. I. 72/2 In addition to the word Abraxas and other mystical characters, they [sc. abraxas stones] have often cabalistic figures engraved on them.

1947 ELH 14 80 ‘Long and short’ he insisted were merely generic names for compositional elements, and one might as well call them black and white, x and y, or abracadabra and abraxas.

2006 O. Olsen et al. Templar Papers iv. 120 The Abraxas has been found on Hellenistic magic papyri, and on ancient and medieval amulets.

Compounds

C1. General attributive.

ΚΠ

1905 L. R. Farnell Evol. Relig. iv. 188 In certain Egyptian papyri containing Abraxas prayers, we find the prayer coupled with the reminder that the petitioner knows the divine mystic name.

1950 Amer. Jrnl. Archaeol. 54 419/2 An Abraxas gem of the third century.

C2.

abraxas stone n. a stone engraved with the word ‘abraxas’ or other cabbalistic inscriptions.

ΚΠ

1829 Encycl. Americana I. 15/1 Abraxas Stones, or Abrasax Stones, are very numerous, and represent a human body, with the head of a cock and the feet of a reptile.

1898 T. Watts-Dunton Aylwin i. §6. 37 He had a large collection of amulets, Gnostic gems and abraxas stones.

1993 E. Bloom & L. Bloom Piozzi Lett. III. 64 Abraxas, a word probably first used by the Basilidians..and engraved on certain stones, called on that account abraxas stones.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2009; most recently modified version published online December 2021).

单词	abraxas
释义	abraxasn. Brit. /əˈbraksəs/, U.S. /əˈbræksəs/ Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: French abraxas; Latin Abraxas. Etymology: < French abraxas (apparently 1713 (in the passage translated in quot. 1713) denoting an instance of the magical word; 1749 or earlier denoting an utterance of the magical word used as a charm; 1751 denoting an amulet inscribed with the magical word) and its etymon post-classical Latin Abraxas, name given by the Basilidians to the ruler of the 365 heavens (3rd cent.) < Hellenistic Greek Ἀβράξας (in papyri containing texts on magic; more commonly as Ἀβράςαξ : see abrasax n.), of unknown origin. Compare earlier abracadabra n., and see discussion at that entry.In the Greek system of alphabetic numerology the letters of Ἀβράξας add up to the number 365. With abraxas stone n. compare German Abraxasstein (1819 or earlier in plural Abraxas-Steine). An instance or utterance of the magical word ‘abraxas’, supposed (esp. in Gnosticism) to act as a charm; a gem, amulet, etc., inscribed with this word or other cabbalistic signs. Cf. abracadabra n. 1a, abrasax n. ΘΚΠ the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > enchantment or casting spells > [noun] > spell > incantation > word used in or as abracadabra1565 hocus-pocus1632 prestoa1640 abraxas1713 abrasax1737 sesame1785 open sesame1814 karakia1832 white rabbits1905 1569 J. Sanford tr. H. C. Agrippa Of Vanitie Artes & Sci. xxxi But of the same fountaine did the Heresie of Basilides springe, who saide, that there were three hundreth three scoare and fiue heauens made togeather by succession and likenesse, and the shewinge of these to be the number of daies of the yeare, assigninge to euery of them certaine beginninges, vertues, and Angels and deuising names for them: & the chiefest of al to be Abraxas whiche woorde in Greeke containeth in it CCClxv. as many truely as there be places of the heauens found out and inuented by him.] 1713 tr. L. E. Du Pin Compend. Hist. Church II. iv. 35 They made Use of the Word Abraxas [Fr. (ed. 2, 1714) Abraxas] as a Mysterious Term, because the Letters of that Word in Cyphers make 365. 1742 W. Warburton Divine Legation Moses (ed. 2) II. iv. iv. 154 These Gems called Abraxas. 1769 T. Smollett Hist. & Adventures Atom I. 199 The figure of St. George encountering the dragon..was no other originally than the device of an abraxas or amulet wore by the Basilidians, as a charm against infection. 1788 Encycl. Brit. I. 24 It is disputed whether the Veronica of Montreuil, or the granite obelisk mentioned by Gori, be Abraxases. 1851 Southern Literary Messenger Aug. 462/1 We deride the Alchemists who pored by day over their Abraxas or Abracadabra. 1910 Encycl. Brit. I. 72/2 In addition to the word Abraxas and other mystical characters, they [sc. abraxas stones] have often cabalistic figures engraved on them. 1947 ELH 14 80 ‘Long and short’ he insisted were merely generic names for compositional elements, and one might as well call them black and white, x and y, or abracadabra and abraxas. 2006 O. Olsen et al. Templar Papers iv. 120 The Abraxas has been found on Hellenistic magic papyri, and on ancient and medieval amulets. Compounds C1. General attributive. ΚΠ 1905 L. R. Farnell Evol. Relig. iv. 188 In certain Egyptian papyri containing Abraxas prayers, we find the prayer coupled with the reminder that the petitioner knows the divine mystic name. 1950 Amer. Jrnl. Archaeol. 54 419/2 An Abraxas gem of the third century. C2. abraxas stone n. a stone engraved with the word ‘abraxas’ or other cabbalistic inscriptions. ΚΠ 1829 Encycl. Americana I. 15/1 Abraxas Stones, or Abrasax Stones, are very numerous, and represent a human body, with the head of a cock and the feet of a reptile. 1898 T. Watts-Dunton Aylwin i. §6. 37 He had a large collection of amulets, Gnostic gems and abraxas stones. 1993 E. Bloom & L. Bloom Piozzi Lett. III. 64 Abraxas, a word probably first used by the Basilidians..and engraved on certain stones, called on that account abraxas stones. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2009; most recently modified version published online December 2021). < n.1713
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