English
charm
Pronunciation Etymology 1

From Middle English charme, from Old French charme, from Latin carmen.

Noun

charm

  1. An object, act or words believed to have magic power (usually carries a positive connotation).
    Synonyms: incantation, spell, talisman
    a charm against evil
    It works like a charm.
  2. (often, in plural) The ability to persuade, delight or arouse admiration.
    Synonyms: appeal, attraction, charisma
    Antonyms: boredom, dryness
    He had great personal charm.
    She tried to win him over with her charms.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book VIII ↗”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗:
      […] the charm of Beauties powerful glance.
    • 1697, [William] Congreve, The Mourning Bride, a Tragedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC ↗, Act I, page 1 ↗:
      Muſick has Charms to ſooth a ſavage Breaſt,
      To ſoften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.
    • 1714, Alexander Pope, “The Rape of the Lock”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], published 1717, →OCLC ↗, canto V, page 160 ↗:
      Charms ſtrike the ſight, but merit wins the ſoul.
  3. A small trinket on a bracelet or chain, etc., traditionally supposed to confer luck upon the wearer.
    Synonyms: amulet, dangle, ornament
    She wears a charm bracelet on her wrist.
  4. (particle physics) A quantum number of hadrons determined by the number of charm quarks and antiquarks.
    Coordinate term: strangeness
  5. (finance) A second-order measure of derivative price sensitivity, expressed as the instantaneous rate of change of delta with respect to time.
    Synonyms: delta decay, DdeltaDtime
    Hypernyms: Greeks
  6. (GUI, Microsoft Windows) An icon providing quick access to a command or setting.
    • 2012, J. Peter Bruzzese, Using Windows 8:
      Undoubtedly one of the most important pieces to navigating Windows 8, charms are actually not visible until a command to show them is given.
Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

charm (charms, present participle charming; simple past and past participle charmed)

  1. To seduce, persuade or fascinate someone or something.
    Synonyms: delight, enchant, entrance
    He charmed her with his dashing tales of his days as a sailor.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book I ↗”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗:
      […] they, on thir mirth & dance / Intent, with jocond Muſic charm his ear;
    • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC ↗, page 58 ↗:
      The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on a certain afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. The three returned wondering and charmed with Mrs. Cooke; they were sure she had had no hand in the furnishing of that atrocious house.
  2. (transitive) To use a magical charm upon; to subdue, control, or summon by incantation or supernatural influence; to ensorcel or exert a magical effect on.
    Synonyms: bewitch, enchant, ensorcel, enspell
    After winning three games while wearing the chain, Dan began to think it had been charmed.
    • 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene ii], page 389 ↗, column 2:
      Nor no witch-craft charme thee.
  3. To protect with, or make invulnerable by, spells, charms, or supernatural influences.
    She led a charmed life.
    • 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act V, scene iii], page 393 ↗, column 1:
      I, in mine owne woe charm’d, / Could not finde death, […]
  4. (obsolete, rare) To make music upon.
    • 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “October. Ægloga Decima.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC ↗, folio 42, recto ↗:
      But ah my corage cooles ere it be warme, / For thy, content vs in thys humble ſhade: / Where no ſuch troublous tydes han vs aſſayde, / Here we our ſlender pipes may ſafely charme.
  5. To subdue or overcome by some secret power, or by that which gives pleasure; to allay; to soothe.
    • 1687 (date written), Alexander Pope, “Ode for Musick on St. Cecilia’s Day”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], →OCLC ↗, canto VII, page 378 ↗:
      Music the fierceſt griefs can charm, / And fate's ſevereſt rage diſarm: […]
Translations Translations Etymology 2

Variant of chirm, from Middle English chirme, from Old English cierm, from Proto-Germanic *karmiz.

Noun

charm (plural charms)

  1. The mixed sound of many voices, especially of birds or children.
    • 1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “The Teares of the Muses ↗”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], →OCLC ↗:
      […] Free libertie to chaunt our charmes at will: […]
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book IV ↗”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗:
      Sweet is the breath of morn, her riſing ſweet,
      With charm of earlieſt Birds;
  2. A flock, group (especially of finches).


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