charm

¹

[ chahrm ]

noun

1. a power of pleasing or attracting, as through personality or beauty: the charm of a mountain lake.

   charm of manner;

   the charm of a mountain lake.

   Synonyms: allurement, attractiveness

2. a trait or feature imparting this power.
3. charms, attractiveness.
4. a trinket to be worn on a bracelet, necklace, etc.

   Synonyms: bauble

5. something worn or carried on one's person for its supposed magical effect; amulet.

   Synonyms: talisman

6. any action supposed to have magical power.

   Synonyms: spell, enchantment

7. the chanting or recitation of a magic verse or formula.
8. a verse or formula credited with magical power.

   Synonyms: spell

9. Physics. a quantum number assigned the value +1 for one kind of quark, −1 for its antiquark, and 0 for all other quarks. : C Compare charmed quark.

verb (used with object)

1. to delight or please greatly by beauty, attractiveness, etc.; enchant:

   She charmed us with her grace.

   Synonyms: bewitch, allure, ravish, enrapture, entrance, captivate, fascinate

2. to act upon (someone or something) with or as with a compelling or magical force:

   to charm a bird from a tree.

3. to endow with or protect by supernatural powers.
4. to gain or influence through personal charm:

   He charmed a raise out of his boss.

verb (used without object)

1. to be fascinating or pleasing.
2. to use charms.
3. to act as a charm.

charm

²

[ chahrm ]

noun

, British Dialect.

1. blended singing of birds, children, etc.

charm

¹

/ tʃɑːm /

noun

1. dialect.
   a loud noise, as of a number of people chattering or of birds singing

charm

²

/ tʃɑːm /

noun

1. the quality of pleasing, fascinating, or attracting people
2. a pleasing or attractive feature
3. a small object worn or kept for supposed magical powers of protection; amulet; talisman
4. a trinket worn on a bracelet
5. a magic spell; enchantment
6. a formula or action used in casting such a spell
7. physics an internal quantum number of certain elementary particles, used to explain some scattering experiments
8. like a charm
   perfectly; successfully

verb

1. to attract or fascinate; delight greatly
2. to cast a magic spell on
3. to protect, influence, or heal, supposedly by magic
4. tr to influence or obtain by personal charm

   he charmed them into believing him

charm

/ chärm /

1. One of the flavors of quarks, contributing to the charm number—a quantum number—for hadrons.
2. A charmed particle is a particle that contains at least one charmed quark or charmed antiquark. The charmed quark was hypothesized to account for the longevity of the J/psi particle and to explain differences in the behavior of leptons and hadrons.
3. See more at flavor

Other Words From

• charm·ed·ly [chahr, -mid-lee], adverb
• charmer noun
• charmless adjective
• charmless·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of charm¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English charme “magical verse or incantation,” from Old French, from Latin carmen “song, magical formula,” from unattested canmen (by dissimilation), equivalent to can(ere) “to sing” + -men noun suffix

Origin of charm²

First recorded in 1520–30 as cherme, dialect variant of chirm “noise, din,” perhaps associated with charm ¹( def ) (in the sense “chanting of a magic verse”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of charm¹

C16: variant of chirm

Origin of charm²

C13: from Old French charme, from Latin carmen song, incantation, from canere to sing

Idioms and Phrases

• (charm the) pants off
• work like a charm

Example Sentences

They even had the tournament’s favorite 98-year-old nun, Sister Jean, as a lucky charm.

From FiveThirtyEight

He was friendly and had a captivating charm and a sharp wit, Monteleone said.

From Washington Post

Part of the trials’ charm has been the sheer number of participants, the vast majority with little to no chance of making the Olympic team.

From Washington Post

The exact recipe was a closely guarded secret, but part of the petite crab cake’s charm was the restraint deployed by the chef.

From Washington Post

We can practically see the steam coming out of Pen’s ears as she watches her cousin charm Colin.

From Washington Post

There is charm, oodles of it, but also a steeliness about Gilkes.

From The Daily Beast

In the end, Stephen did not kill young William, which the knight would claim was due to his charm.

From The Daily Beast

The charm continues when he waxes on—and on—about the immeasurable respect he has for Cumberbatch, his friend of over 15 years.

From The Daily Beast

The system faintly evokes the charm of the Hogwarts houses—without a Sorting Hat, that is.

From The Daily Beast

In the last several months Pyongyang has launched a charm offensive directed at Moscow, Tokyo, and Seoul.

From The Daily Beast

Many of them were delicious in the role; one of them was the embodiment of every womanly grace and charm.

From Project Gutenberg

Yet, if one looks closely, under the froth and foppery, some of the charm and perception of the man still shines through.

From Project Gutenberg

Feeling sixteen and very foolish, she sank to the edge of a chair and muttered something about the charm of the room.

From Project Gutenberg

Perhaps he is a little conscious of his charm; if so, it is hardly his fault, for hero-worship has been his lot from boyhood.

From Project Gutenberg

A great charm in Trevithick's character was his freedom and largeness of view in questions of competition.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• attract
• beguile
• bewitch
• cajole
• captivate
• delight
• enamor
• enrapture
• enthrall
• fascinate
• hypnotize
• mesmerize
• please
• tickle
• wow