Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - magic

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. Magic is the power to use supernatural forces to make impossible things happen, such as making people disappear or controlling events in nature. They believe in magic... Older legends say that Merlin raised the stones by magic. N-UNCOUNT 2. You can use magic when you are referring to an event that is so wonderful, strange, or unexpected that it seems as if supernatural powers have caused it. You can also say that something happens as if by magic or like magic. All this was supposed to work magic... The picture will now appear, as if by magic! N-UNCOUNT 3. You use magic to describe something that does things, or appears to do things, by magic. So it’s a magic potion? ...the magic ingredient that helps to keep skin looking smooth. ADJ: ADJ n 4. Magic is the art and skill of performing mysterious tricks to entertain people, for example by making things appear and disappear. His secret hobby: performing magic tricks. N-UNCOUNT: oft N n 5. If you refer to the magic of something, you mean that it has a special mysterious quality which makes it seem wonderful and exciting to you and which makes you feel happy. It infected them with some of the magic of a lost age... N-UNCOUNT: usu with supp • Magic is also an adjective. Then came those magic moments in the rose-garden. ADJ 6. If you refer to a person’s magic, you mean a special talent or ability that they have, which you admire or consider very impressive. The fighter believes he can still regain some of his old magic. N-UNCOUNT: usu with poss 7. You can use expressions such as the magic number and the magic word to indicate that a number or word is the one which is significant or desirable in a particular situation. ...their quest to gain the magic number of 270 electoral votes on Election Day. ADJ: the ADJ n 8. Magic is used in expressions such as there is no magic formula and there is no magic solution to say that someone will have to make an effort to solve a problem, because it will not solve itself. There is no magic formula for producing winning products... ADJ: ADJ n, with neg 9. If you say that something is magic, you think it is very good or enjoyable. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL) It was magic–one of the best days of my life. = brilliant ADJ c darkgreen]approval