abraxas

UK: /əˈbræksəs/ US: (ə brak′səs)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

a•brax•as  (ə brak′səs), n. 

1. Antiquity a word of unknown significance found on charms, esp. amulets, of the late Greco-Roman world and linked with both Gnostic beliefs and magical practices by the early church fathers.

• Greek abráxas, abrasáx, of obscure origin, originally; the combined numerical value of the Greek letters is 365, an important figure in numerology

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

abraxas / əˈbræksəs/, abrasax / əˈbræsəks/ noun

1. an ancient charm composed of Greek letters: originally believed to have magical powers and inscribed on amulets, etc, but from the second century ad personified by Gnostics as a deity, the source of divine emanations

Etymology: from Greek: invented word