ENGLISH
REFERENCE

charm

n. · v.
US //ˈtʃɑɹm// UK //tʃˈɑːm// charm
  1. 1 attractive personality (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the power or quality of pleasing or attracting people.

    the power or quality of delighting, attracting, or fascinating others through personality or appearance.

    Example

    The salesman used all his charm to convince the couple to buy the expensive car.

    Example

    Despite his lack of formal experience, his natural charm and ability to put people at ease made him an ideal candidate for the role.
    • repulsiveness
  2. 2 jewellery (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a small ornament worn on a chain or a bracelet.

    a small decorative trinket worn on a bracelet or necklace, often symbolising a memory or providing luck.

    Example

    She added a tiny silver heart charm to her bracelet to remember her trip to Paris.

    Example

    The heirloom bracelet was heavy with gold charms, each representing a significant milestone in her grandmother's long life.
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  1. 3 magic spell (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    an object or a set of words that people believe has magic powers.

    an object, act, or incantation believed to possess occult or supernatural power, typically to bring good luck or protection.

    Example

    The old stories tell of a magic charm that could turn lead into gold.

    Example

    The villagers carried small pouches of dried herbs as a charm against the illness they believed was caused by mountain spirits.
  2. 4 finance (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Law

    a technical way to measure how the price of a financial contract changes over time.

    a second-order derivative of an option's value, measuring the rate of change of delta with respect to the passage of time.

    Example

    The trader looked at the charm to see how his position would change as the weekend approached.

    Example

    Institutional traders must monitor charm closely, as the time decay of delta can significantly alter a portfolio's hedge ratio over a non-trading period.

    Usage

    Used specifically in the context of 'Greeks' in options trading.
    • delta decay
  3. 5 physics (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    a special property of some very small particles in science.

    a quantum number representing the difference between the number of charm quarks and charm antiquarks in a particle.

    Example

    The physicist explained how the charm of a particle is conserved in certain reactions.

    Example

    The discovery of the J/psi meson provided the first experimental evidence for the existence of the charm quark.

  4. 6 to please or attract (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to please someone very much or to use your personality to get what you want.

    to delight or fascinate someone; to use charisma to influence or persuade.

    Example

    He managed to charm the guards into letting him enter the building without an ID.

    Example

    The diplomat was known for his ability to charm even the most hostile negotiators into considering a compromise.
    • enchant
    • captivate
    • win over
  5. 7 to use magic on (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to use magic to control or protect someone or something.

    to influence or subdue a person or animal as if by magic or incantation.

    Example

    In the fairy tale, the witch tried to charm the prince so he would forget his home.

    Example

    The snake charmer sat on the rug, appearing to charm the cobra with the rhythmic movements of his flute.
Etymology 1

From Middle English charme, from Old French charme (“chant, magic spell”), from Latin carmen (“song, incantation”).

Etymology 2

Synchronically a variant of chirm, but reflects Middle English charme (or unattested charm), from Old English ċearm (“cry, alarm”), from Proto-West Germanic karm, masculine variant of karmi f, from Proto-Germanic karmiz, *karm(j)az (“cry, lament, calling sound”). Near-doublet of chirm, which is from the feminine counterpart.

Word family
Idioms2 entries

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