apotropaic
/ˌæpətɹəˈpeɪ.ɪk/
apotropaic means intended to ward off evil. It carries an Arena rating of 1634, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, apotropaic ranks #201 of 17,130 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #527 of 17,130 for Most Ingenious Words, #1,340 of 17,093 for Most Storied Words, #2,351 of 17,128 for Most Whimsical Words.
apotropaic is pronounced /ˌæpətɹəˈpeɪ.ɪk/.
Why “apotropaic” is a great word
Intended to ward off evil or misfortune through symbolic or ritualistic means. From Ancient Greek ἀποτρόπαιος (apotrópaios, "averting evil"), from ἀπό (apó, "away") and τρόπος (trópos, "turn"); thus meaning "causing things to turn away." Attested in English usage from 1883. Unlike "prophylactic," which guards the body against disease, or "talismanic," which draws beneficial power, apotropaic acts solely to repel, deflect, and avert. It is the gorgoneion fixed above the lintel, the iron horseshoe nailed heels-down, the frantic knocking on wood—each a fragile gesture against the vast, encroaching dark, meant not to hold, but to push away.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἀποτρόπαιος (apotrópaios), from ἀπό (apó, “away”) and τρόπος (trópos, “turn”); thus meaning “causing things to turn away”, as in “turns away evil”.
adj
- Intended to ward off evil.e.g.“Wormwood [...] was associated with the rites of St. John's Eve, when a crown of the plant was made from its sprays for apotropaic purposes, to ward of malefic spirits.”
noun
- An agent intended to ward off evil.
Words closest in meaning
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