amulet

noun

am·​u·​let ˈam-yə-lət How to pronounce amulet (audio)
: a charm (such as an ornament) often inscribed with a magic incantation or symbol to aid the wearer or protect against evil (such as disease or witchcraft)

Examples of amulet in a Sentence

a small cross made of goat bone was worn in the Middle Ages as an amulet to ward off evil
Recent Examples on the Web Entire 10-story buildings are hired out, taxi drivers get dream fares and vendors do a mean trade in T-shirts, books, amulets and other Breslov merch. Jeffrey Gettleman Daniel Berehulak, New York Times, 17 Sep. 2023 Theo Eli Gil Bell / AFP - Getty Images Not seen since before the Viking Age, the pendants were bracteates: thin, flat, single-sided gold discs that once formed an amulet. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 8 Sep. 2023 Some of the items were Olmec figures, grinding stones, clay and stone earmuffs, and a human head amulet. Kara Nelson, CNN, 19 Aug. 2023 Scientists studying ancient cultures can learn a lot from the valuable objects people were buried with, from the amulets left with a teenage mummy in ancient Egypt to the ivory tusks buried with a very important Copper Age woman. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 Aug. 2023 The amulet lying at the center of the plot brings all of that humanity, good, bad, and in between, to the forefront. David James, Anchorage Daily News, 4 June 2023 Roemer and Macpherson chose turquoise as it has long been prized in many world cultures as a balancing and healing amulet and talisman. Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 17 July 2023 Much more strikingly, the team found an assortment of 21 distinct types of amulets, including a golden tongue amulet positioned inside the mouth and a golden heart amulet positioned inside the chest. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 24 Jan. 2023 Egyptian embalmers placed amulets to protect and provide vitality for the body in the afterlife, and a gold tongue amulet was placed inside the mouth to ensure the deceased could speak in the afterlife. Charlene Gubash, NBC News, 24 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amulet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin amulētum, of obscure origin

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of amulet was in 1584

Dictionary Entries Near amulet

Cite this Entry

“Amulet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amulet. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

amulet

noun
am·​u·​let ˈam-yə-lət How to pronounce amulet (audio)
: a small object worn as a charm against evil

More from Merriam-Webster on amulet

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