From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishincantationin‧can‧ta‧tion /ˌɪnkænˈteɪʃən/ noun [countable, uncountable] ROMspecial words that someone uses in magic, or the act of saying these words → spell a book of spells and incantations
Examples from the Corpus
incantation• And so prayers and incantations continue.• Chiron was learned in the use of herbs and gentle incantations and cooling potions.• Now his incantations of the old slogans of national independence and identity sounded more and more hollow.• The he began to press the twigs against the branch, groaning loudly and jabbering incantations.• No one embodies better than Coltrane that strange kinship between pentecostal incantation and the spiritual lineage of jazz.• And when the six-strong cast burst into stumbling raps or ranting incantations, even the ravers dotted in the audience look confused.• And this can be as destructive to enjoyment and adventure as inflated claims or solemn incantations.• Meditation does not demand sitting cross-legged amidst candles and burning incense, muttering weird incantations.Origin incantation (1300-1400) French Latin incantare “to use magic power on”, from cantare “to sing” 