Dictionary

talisman en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• (US) audio
• /ˈtæl.ɪz.mən/
• /ˈtæl.ɪsˌmæn/

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. A magical object providing protection against ill will, or the supernatural, or conferring the wearer with a boon such as good luck, good health, or certain powers.
   • That woman’s love is a talisman by which he holds and hopes to get his safety. 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 29, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:
   • Mata would soon whip in the cross that allowed Drogba to equalise – and Chelsea went on to win the Champions League, beating the German club on penalties, with their talisman from the Ivory Coast making history with the final spot-kick. 2018 January 1, Donald McRae, “The Guardian footballer of the year 2017: Juan Mata”, in the Guardian:
   • I have in my possession three Magic Talismans, which I have ever guarded with utmost care, keeping the knowledge of their existence from anyone else. 1916, Frank Baum, chapter 1, in Rinkitink in Oz:
   • She kept low, clutching the rifle she'd taken as though it were a magic talisman, as if it would somehow protect her even though she didn't fire it. 1997, John Peel, chapter 10, in War of the Daleks, page 233:
   • Dagobert gave him back his passport. He re-pocketed it indifferently; a talisman which had lost its potency. 1956, Delano Ames, chapter 17, in Crime out of Mind:

Forms

Deriveds

taliswoman · talismanic · talismanist

Relateds

medallion · amulet · rosary · apotropaic

Translations (115)

nl talisman (magical protective charms) · arz طلسم (magical protective charms) · sq rruazë (magical protective charms) · ky тилсим (magical protective charms) · fi talismaani (magical protective charms) · th ของขลัง (magical protective charms) · cmn 厭勝物 /厌胜物 (magical protective charms) · ur تَعْوِیذ (magical protective charms) · ka თილისმა (magical protective charms) · fa-ira طِلِسْم (magical protective charms) · tg таъвиз (magical protective charms) · hil antíng-ánting (magical protective charms) · lo ເຄື່ອງລາງ (magical protective charms) · hy թալիսման (magical protective charms) · cs talisman (magical protective charms) · rm amulet (magical protective charms) · ru о́берег (magical protective charms) · he קָמֵעַ (magical protective charms) · lt talismanas (magical protective charms) · ms azimat (magical protective charms) · nb talisman (magical protective charms) · uk талісма́н (magical protective charms) · th ของดี (magical protective charms) · lv talismans (magical protective charms) · is verndargripur (magical protective charms) · id isim (magical protective charms) · tl agimat (magical protective charms) · lo ຂອງດີ (magical protective charms) · mnc ᡴᠠᡵᠮᠠᠨᡳ (magical protective charms) · tk tumar (magical protective charms) · ky тумар (magical protective charms) · ko 부적 (magical protective charms) · hi तिलिस्म (magical protective charms) · ug تۇمار (magical protective charms) · hi तिलस्म (magical protective charms) · el φυλαχτό (magical protective charms) · ur طِلِسْم (magical protective charms) · ru обере́г (magical protective charms) · ro amuletă (magical protective charms) · lo ຍັນ (magical protective charms) · tr muska (magical protective charms) · mn сахиус (magical protective charms) · grc περίαπτον (magical protective charms) · kk тұмар (magical protective charms) · ota حمایل (magical protective charms) · grc βασκάνιον (magical protective charms) · th เครื่องราง (magical protective charms) · ru талисма́н (magical protective charms) · sl talisman (magical protective charms) · da talisman (magical protective charms) · sh талѝсма̄н (magical protective charms) · mk талисман (magical protective charms) · my အဆောင် (magical protective charms) · hu amulett (magical protective charms) · lo ຄາຖາ (magical protective charms) · bn কবচ (magical protective charms) · sh talìsmān (magical protective charms) · mi māwe (magical protective charms) · pt talismã (magical protective charms) · cmn 護符 /护符 (magical protective charms) · mi koropā (magical protective charms) · pt amuleto (magical protective charms) · ug تىلسىم (magical protective charms) · cmn 護身符 /护身符 (magical protective charms) · sq hajmali (magical protective charms) · fa-ira تَعْویذ (magical protective charms) · hi मंगल (magical protective charms) · hi कवच (magical protective charms) · th วัตถุมงคล (magical protective charms) · hu talizmán (magical protective charms) · de Talisman (magical protective charms) · ja 護符 (magical protective charms) · be талісма́н (magical protective charms) · fr talisman (magical protective charms) · hu kabala (magical protective charms) · is töfragripur (magical protective charms) · tg тӯмор (magical protective charms) · ca talismà (magical protective charms) · id jimat (magical protective charms) · az tumar (magical protective charms) · az tilsim (magical protective charms) · ja 縁起物 (magical protective charms) · ar طِلَسْم (magical protective charms) · bg талисма́н (magical protective charms) · es talismán (magical protective charms) · kea fisga (magical protective charms) · mk амајлија (magical protective charms) · mi mauri (magical protective charms) · tr tılsım (magical protective charms) · ro talisman (magical protective charms) · sa मङ्गल (magical protective charms) · pl talizman (magical protective charms) · ja タリスマン (magical protective charms) · ar طِلَّسْم (magical protective charms) · bn তাবিজ (magical protective charms) · cs amulet (magical protective charms) · mi aria (magical protective charms) · vi bùa hộ mệnh (magical protective charms) · et talisman (magical protective charms) · uz tumor (magical protective charms) · eo talismano (magical protective charms) · ko 탤리즈먼 (magical protective charms) · lo ຂອງຄ້ຳຄູນ (magical protective charms) · lo ມິ່ງ (magical protective charms) · uz tilsim (magical protective charms) · km កំណារ (magical protective charms) · my အခံ (magical protective charms) · ga buachloch (magical protective charms) · sw talasimu (magical protective charms) · it talismano (magical protective charms) · tg тилисм (magical protective charms) · sv talisman (magical protective charms) · sk talizman (magical protective charms) · gl talismán (magical protective charms) · uk обері́г (magical protective charms)

talisman en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• (US) audio
• /ˈtæl.ɪz.mən/
• /ˈtæl.ɪsˌmæn/

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To adorn with a talisman.
   • It is yours still, and I go talismanned / By you to find you, though I’m lost & late. 1981, Marie Ponsot, “Late”, in Woman Poet, volume two (The East), Women-in-Literature, Incorporated, →ISBN, stanza II, page 43:
   • They had a pitched battle in the spirit; the girl at length said, “You have something strong which I cannot endure,” and Madame Guyon confesses that she was talismaned by a piece of the true cross around her neck. 1899, The London Quarterly Review, page 328:
   • Lo, under their coats, amulets of idols! Possibly such charms talismaned every breast in his army. 1886 January, A. G. Laurie, “The Jew—From the Maccabees to Christ. Part IV.”, in Richard Eddy, editor, The Universalist Quarterly and General Review, new series, volume XXIII, Boston, Mass.: Universalist Publishing House, page 34:
   • The second in his saddle reeled, / Down thundered man and horse;— / Oft I essayed with blow and thrust, / As oft a foeman rolled in dust; / But, ah, what could a single arm, / Though talismaned by beauty’s charm, / Against a host?—for love—for life— / I waged awhile the desperate strife; / ’T was vain—I fell—was left for dead— / And rescued was th’ unwilling maid! 1832, D. M. Ferguson, “Legend”, in Evan Bane; A Highland Legend: and Other Poems, London: […] Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, section “Spirit of the Cloud”, page 54:
   • And for that moment I believe her, am transformed, / Talismanned by carved jade beads, / For that moment I know she has / The word from God direct. 1992, Equinox, page 74:
   • Fond youth, vain were thy sulphurous bolts against / This subtle necromancer, armed and talismaned / By the Grail’s prophylactic power. 1939, R[obert] C[alverley] Trevelyan, The Collected Works of R. C. Trevelyan, volume II (Plays), London: Longmans, Green & Co. Ltd., page 143:
   • After some opening sentences, affirming that Joy, Grace and Love are the marks of the elect of God, we are informed that a letter was mysteriously sent down from heaven to earth, as if it had been shot from a bow. People rushed to read it; but it was talismaned by a seal, which none dared to break. 1911, J[ames] Rendel Harris, “Introduction”, in The Odes and Psalms of Solomon: Published from the Syriac Version, 2nd edition, Cambridge: at the University Press, page 64:

Forms

talisman en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• (US) audio
• /ˈtæl.ɪz.mən/
• /ˈtæl.ɪsˌmæn/

Etymology

Uncertain. Perhaps a corruption of some Arabic word.

Meanings

1. (India, obsolete) A mullah (Islamic religious scholar).

Forms