# charm

Pronunciation: US say "CHARM" /t͡ʃɑɹm/; UK say "CHAHM" /tʃɑːm/

## Noun

1. The ability to persuade, delight, or arouse the admiration of others.
   - Simple: A special quality that makes people like you, listen to you, or admire you.
   - _The senator relied on personal charm rather than policy details to win votes._
   - _Despite its peeling paint, the old cottage had a quiet charm that drew visitors in._
3. A small trinket worn on a bracelet or chain, traditionally believed to bring luck to the wearer.
   - Simple: A small object hung on a bracelet or necklace, often kept for good luck.
   - _She added a new charm to her bracelet for every city she visited._
   - _The necklace held three gold charms, each marking a family birthday._
4. An object, act, or set of words believed to hold magic power, usually of a helpful kind.
   - Simple: An object, action, or set of words that people believe has magic power, usually to help or protect.
   - _Villagers nailed a charm above the doorway to ward off evil spirits._
   - _The manuscript preserves healing charms that farmers once spoke over their fields._
8. In particle physics, a quantum number of a hadron that depends on how many charm quarks and antiquarks it contains.
   - Simple: A number that scientists use to describe certain tiny particles, smaller than atoms.
   - _The J/psi meson has hidden charm because its quark and antiquark cancel each other out._
   - _Charm is conserved in strong and electromagnetic interactions but not in weak decays._
9. A group of goldfinches: the traditional collective noun for the species.
   - Simple: A group of goldfinches, which are small, colorful songbirds.
   - _A charm of goldfinches scattered from the thistles as we approached._
   - _Every autumn a charm of goldfinches descends on the sunflower field._
10. A flock of birds, used especially of finches.
   - Simple: A group of birds, especially small birds like finches.
   - _A charm of siskins worked through the alder cones along the river._
   - _At dusk the orchard drew a charm of mixed finches to its branches._
11. The blended, confused sound of many voices together, especially of birds or children.
   - Simple: The mixed sound of many voices at once, like birds singing or children talking.
   - _We woke to the charm of birdsong drifting from the hedge outside._
   - _A charm of small voices rose from the kindergarten classroom._
12. The instantaneous rate at which an option's delta changes as time passes, a second-order measure of price sensitivity.
   - Simple: A number that shows traders how quickly one of an option's risk measures changes over time.
   - _Desk analysts recompute charm daily, since delta decay can accelerate as options near expiration._
   - _Over a long weekend, a position's charm can noticeably shift its hedging needs._
13. An icon providing quick access to a command or system setting, especially in some versions of Microsoft Windows.
   - Simple: A small icon on a computer screen that gives quick access to a command or setting.
   - _Swiping in from the right edge of the screen revealed the five charms._
   - _He opened the share charm to send the photo to a friend._

## Verb

2. To appeal to someone or something in a way that fascinates, persuades, or seduces them.
   - Simple: To make someone like you or do what you want by being pleasant.
   - _The startup's founder charmed investors with a confident, funny pitch._
   - _Politicians charm voters at county fairs every election season._
5. To subdue, control, or summon by incantation or supernatural influence; to exert a magical effect on.
   - Simple: To use magic on a person, animal, or thing to control it.
   - _The enchantress charmed the guards asleep before slipping into the tower._
   - _Folk tales describe musicians who charm serpents with a single tune._
6. To soothe, allay, or overcome, as if by a secret power or by something that gives pleasure.
   - Simple: To calm or soothe someone, or to make pain or worry feel less strong.
   - _The steady rain charmed the household into a drowsy calm._
   - _Sailors once believed a low song could charm rough waters._
7. To protect, or make invulnerable, by means of spells or other supernatural influence.
   - Simple: To protect someone or something with magic so it cannot be hurt.
   - _According to the saga, a witch charmed the hero's skin against iron weapons._
   - _Some folk healers claim they can charm a house against lightning._

## Verb

14. To play or make music upon an instrument. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To make music on an instrument, such as a harp or pipe.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–9, 12–14** — From Middle English "charme," from Old French "charme" (chant, magic spell), from Latin "carmen" (song, incantation).
**Meanings 10–11** — A variant of "chirm," reflecting Middle English "charme" from Old English "ċearm" (cry, alarm), from Proto-West Germanic "*karm" and Proto-Germanic "*karmiz" (cry, lament, calling sound). It is a near-doublet of "chirm."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/charm (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).