apotropaion

noun

apotropaion

noun

Etymology Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀποτρόπαιον (apotrópaion).

1

Something that wards off evil; an amulet or magic charm.

  • Walking in nature, we see, identify, name, recognize. This recognition is our apotropaion, that is, our warding off of fear.1990, Camille Paglia, Sexual Personae:
  • Ancient literature provides clear evidence for the body of the hunchback functioning as an apotropaion.2015, Lisa Trentin, The Hunchback in Hellenistic and Roman Art, page 52:
Synonyms
apotropaic

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.