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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

hey presto en · INTJ

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

  1. (UK) Used by stage magicians, when performing a magic trick.
  2. (UK, colloquial) Indicates a sudden desirable conclusion or change, as if by magic
    • They stick a couple of old potshards together, search for one or two adjacent cultures, stick a label on the restored find and—hey, presto!—once again everything fits splendidly into the approved pattern of thought. 1968, Erich von Däniken, Chariots of the Gods?, Putnam:
    • If you take the next left, you’ll see a big shop and hey presto, you’re there.

Synonyms

hey presto · ecce · presto chango · looky · shazam · shablam · lookit · lookie · voilà · hey pass · hey pass · alakazam · abracadabra · look · alakazam · presto · kazaam · see · abracadabra · lookee · ta-da · hocus-pocus · lo · voilà · hark · behold