talisman
- 01 C2 Proficiency
an object, like a ring or stone, that you believe brings good luck or protects you from bad things.
an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune. Often used in literary contexts to describe a source of protection or power.
Simple“He kept a small smooth stone in his pocket as a talisman for good luck during the exam.”
In context“The ancient king wore a heavy gold pendant as a talisman, believing it would shield him from the treachery of his rivals.”
Teacher's tipWhile similar to 'amulet', a talisman is often thought to provide specific powers or luck, whereas an amulet is primarily for protection.
“In Egypt, a meteoritic iron talisman provided lasting protection for a herd of camels against bad luck." However, it was unclear whether Bronze Age Greeks used meteoritic iron.”
“A talisman - each team's key player and one to own, if you can afford the price.”
From French talisman, partly from Arabic طِلَّسْم (ṭillasm, “payment”), from Ancient Greek τέλεσμα (télesma, “payment”); and partly directly from Byzantine Greek τέλεσμα (télesma, “talisman, religious rite, completion”), from τελέω (teléō, “to perform religious rites, to complete”), from τέλος (télos, “end, fulfillment, accomplishment, consummation, completion”). Doublet of telesm.
Uncertain. Perhaps a corruption of some Arabic word.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.