talisman
a stone, ring, or other object, engraved with figures or characters supposed to possess occult powers and worn as an amulet or charm.
any amulet or charm.
anything whose presence exercises a remarkable or powerful influence on human feelings or actions.
Origin of talisman
1Other words from talisman
- tal·is·man·ic [tal-is-man-ik, -iz-], /ˌtæl ɪsˈmæn ɪk, -ɪz-/, tal·is·man·i·cal, adjective
- tal·is·man·i·cal·ly, adverb
Words Nearby talisman
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use talisman in a sentence
The “it” bag was born–a talisman of stylishness and a signifier of insider savvy.
He has become an important talisman either of something very good or very bad.
We are spared, thankfully, the standard liberal talisman of his saunter across the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln.
She kept a copy of The Ambassadors as a talisman on her writing desk when she was working for seven years on her novel Trust.
Lucky ones might take home something that was touched by the artist; a talisman.
The words were a talisman on the benumbed faculties of Louis; he hastened forward, and threw himself into the carriage.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane PorterIt was a wonderful talisman, secreted—I fancied in the dream—by the goddess of the Social Revolution.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist | Alexander BerkmanThe heart of Musa was sprung from the East; the word "fate" was a deadly talisman to him, as to all his race.
God Wills It! | William Stearns DavisThat Arabic word, picked up at hazard from the dragoman, has acted like a talisman—the pest has actually gone!
Round the Wonderful World | G. E. MittonIn Celtic myth the Silver Bough played a less sinister part, and figures as a fairy talisman to music and delight.
Archaic England | Harold Bayley
British Dictionary definitions for talisman
/ (ˈtælɪzmən) /
a stone or other small object, usually inscribed or carved, believed to protect the wearer from evil influences
anything thought to have magical or protective powers
Origin of talisman
1Derived forms of talisman
- talismanic (ˌtælɪzˈmænɪk), adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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