Periapt
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A charm worn on a necklace; an amulet.
"Of all people who ever lived, the Persians were perhaps most remarkable for their unshaken credulity in amulets, spells, periapts, and similar charms, framed, it was said, under the influence of particular planets, and bestowing high medical powers, as well as the means of advancing men's fortunes in various manners."
Example
More examples"Of all people who ever lived, the Persians were perhaps most remarkable for their unshaken credulity in amulets, spells, periapts, and similar charms, framed, it was said, under the influence of particular planets, and bestowing high medical powers, as well as the means of advancing men's fortunes in various manners."
Etymology
From Middle French periapte, from Ancient Greek περίαπτον (períapton, “amulet”), noun use of περίαπτος (períaptos, “hung round”), from περι- (peri-, “peri-”) + ἅπτος (háptos, “fastened”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.