abraxas
noun
abrax·as
ə-ˈbrak-səs
1
—used as a charm on an amulet or talisman in Europe, Asia Minor, and North Africa from the second century b.c. until the 13th century
2
or abraxas stone plural abraxases or abraxas stones : a gem engraved with the word abraxas
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Late Latin Abraxas, a Gnostic deity, borrowed from Greek Abrasax, Abraxas; perhaps regarded as a charm from the numerical value of the Greek letters, which is 365
First Known Use
1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1