From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtalismantal‧is‧man /ˈtæləzmən/ noun (plural talismans) [countable] ROMan object that is believed to have magic powers to protect the person who owns it
Examples from the Corpus
talisman• Perhaps as curios, perhaps as a talisman he could use in some conspiracy against the King.• When he was away from her, her face floated like a talisman in the back of his mind.• The watch was his talisman against street snatchers.• A liquid talisman against a new brand of contagion.• No mere textual reading or logical talisman can solve the dilemma.• It would become a magic talisman.• Work was the magic talisman of the lonely and desperate and it was only when she was working that she felt real.• Next to this talisman above my desk is another.Origin talisman (1600-1700) French Arabic tilsam, from Greek telesma, from telein “to tell about religious secrets, finish”, from telos “end” 