different between incantation vs witchcraft

English

Alternative forms

• encantation

Etymology

From Old French incantation, from Latin incantatio. More at enchant.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /inkæn?te???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

incantation (plural incantations)

1. The act or process of using formulas and/or usually rhyming words, sung or spoken, with occult ceremonies, for the purpose of raising spirits, producing enchantment, or creating other magical results.
2. A formula of words used as above.
3. (computing, slang) Any esoteric command or procedure.
   • 1998, John Purcell, Robert Kiesling, Linux: The Complete Reference: Book 1 (page 412)

     The appropriate incantation of route is shown below; the gw keyword tells it that the next argument denotes a gateway.

   • 2017, James Pogran, Learning PowerShell DSC (page 11)

     Servers move from being special snowflakes to being disposable numbers on a list that can be created and destroyed without requiring someone to remember the specific incantation to make it work.

Related terms

• incanter

Translations

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin incant?ti?. Synchronically analysable as incanter +? -ation.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.k??.ta.sj??/

Noun

incantation f (plural incantations)

1. incantation

Related terms

• enchanter

Further reading

• “incantation” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

From Middle English wicchecraft, wicchecreft, from Old English wi??ecræft, equivalent to witch +? -craft.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?w?t??k?æft/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?w?t??k???ft/

Noun

witchcraft (usually uncountable, plural witchcrafts)

1. The practice of witches; magic, sorcery or the use of supernatural powers to influence or predict events.
2. Something, such as an advanced technology, that seems almost magical.

   Synonym: wizardry

   • 1987, Air Force Magazine (volume 70, page 88)

     There can be no denying that the more than 100 exhibiting companies and divisions also gave full play to examples of their latest technological witchcraft, as befits the foremost US aerospace event.

Translations

See also

• spellcraft
• spellcasting
• hexcraft
• wizardcraft
• wizardry
• warlockry
• sorcery
• gypsycraft

Middle English

Noun

witchcraft

1. Alternative form of wicchecraft