Harry Potter Spell Glossary

A
Abraxan: in Greek mythology the horse that pulled Helios' chariot was named Abraxus
Accio: Latin, means to call or to summon
Aguamenti: comes from the Latin words 'aqua' (meaning water) and 'mentis' (meaning mind)
Alastor: Greek, was the god of revenge
Albus: Latin, means white
Alohomora: comes from the Hawaiian word 'aloha' (meaning hello/goodbye) and the Latin word 'mora' (meaning obstacle)
Anapneo: Greek, means to breathe
Aparecium: comes from the Latin word appareo (meaning to become visible)
Apparate: comes from the Latin word appareo (meaning to become visible)
Arabella: Latin, 'ara' means to alter and 'bella' means war
Aragog: meaning giant spider, comes from the word 'arachnid' (meaning spider) and the word 'gog' (meaning giant)
Argus: Greek, was a monster who had one hundred eyes
Arthur: English, means rock
Avada Kedavra: most likely taken from the old healing spell 'abracadabra', could be derived from the Arabic words 'abra kadabra' (meaning may the things be destroyed)
Avis: Latin, means bird

B
Bagman: someone who bags money is referred to as a 'bagman'
Basilisk: the king of serpents, comes from the Greek word 'basiliskos' (meaning 'little king' or 'petty tyrant')
Beauxbatons: French, means beautiful wands
Bellatrix: known as the female warrior, also a star in the constellation Orion
Boggart: comes from the Irish word 'baggart' (meaning a threat)

C
Caput Draconis: Latin, means Dragon Head
Cedric: English, means war leader
Charlie: German, comes from Charles which means manly and strong
Cho Chang: comes from the Japanese word 'cho' (meaning butterfly) and the Chinese word 'chang' (meaning free)
Colin: Greek, comes from Nicholas which means youth
Colloportus: Latin, comes from the words 'colligere' (meaning to bind together) and portus (meaning door)
Confundus: comes from the Latin word 'confundo' (meaning to confuse)
Conjunctivitis: an inflammation of the mucous membrane that surrounds the surface of the eyeball (called the conjunctiva)
Cornelius: Latin, meaning horn-coloured
Crucio: Latin, means to torture

D
Deletrius: comes from the word 'delete' (meaning to erase or remove)
Dementor: comes from the English word 'demented' (meaning tortured) and the Latin word 'dementio' (meaning to go mad)
Densaugeo: comes from the Latin words 'den' (meaning teeth) and 'augeo' (meaning to thicken)
Diagon Alley: comes from the word 'diagonally' and is said to be crooked
Diffindo: Latin, meaning to split
Disapparate: Latin, comes from the word 'dispareo' (meaning to disappear)
Dobby: comes from the name Robert, also means a fool
Draco: Latin, means dragon
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus: Latin, translates to 'never tickle a sleeping dragon'
Dumbledore: Old English, means bumblebee
Durmstrang: German, comes from the phrase 'sturm und drang' (meaning storm and stress)
Dudley: Old English, means a people's field
Dursley: the name of a town near to where J.K. Rowling was born

E
Engorgio: comes from the word engorge (meaning to fill to excess)
Ennervate: means to drain of energy
Erised: the word 'desire' spelled backwards
Evanesco: Latin, means to vanish or disappear
Expecto Patronum: Latin, the word 'expecto' means to await and the word 'patronum' means protection
Expelliarmus: Latin, means to expel a weapon

F
Fawkes: Guy Fawkes was a conspirator in the Gunpowder Plot on November 5, 1605. It was an attempt to blow up the parliament in London. The anniversary is still celebrated by burning Fawkes in effigy and with fireworks.
Felix Felicis: Latin, means lucky
Fenrir: in Norse mythology there is the tale of a monster named Fenris who appeared as a giant wolf
Fidelius: Latin, means faithful
Filch: another word for 'steal'
Finite Incantatem: Latin, literally means end of the spell
Firenze: is the Italian name for the city of Florence
Flitwick: a town in Bedfordshire, England, 50 miles north of London
Fleur Delacour: French, 'fleur' means flower and 'delacour' means of the court
Fluffy: a three-headed monster dog in Greek mythology
Fudge: means to falsify or make up, also a delicious sugary treat

G
Gilderoy: Irish, means devoted to the king
Ginny: Italian, short for Ginerva, means woman of the people
Grindelwald: the name of a popular hotel chain in Germany

H
Harry: English, means army ruler
Hagrid: this was the name of the Keeper of Mount Olympus and Watcher of the animals
Hedwig: Teutonic, means battle, also the name of a German saint
Hermione: Greek, means well born
Homorphus: comes from the words 'homo' (meaning man) and 'morphus' (meaning to transform)

I
Immobulus: comes from the word 'immobilize' (meaning to prevent motion)
Impedimenta: Latin, comes from the word impedimentum (meaning a hindrance)
Imperio: Latin, means to command or rule
Impervius: comes from the word 'impervious' (meaning incapable of being affected)
Incarcerous: comes from the word 'incarcerate' (meaning to lock in)
Incendio: Latin, comes from the word 'incendo' (meaning to set fire to)

K
Knocturn Alley: comes from the word 'nocturnally'

L
Levicorpus: comes from the Latin words 'levo' (meaning to raise) and 'corpus' (meaning body)
Liberacorpus: comes from the Latin words 'libera' (meaning to release or set free) and 'corpus' (meaning body)
Lily: Latin, a flower representing peace and purity
Lockhart: town in Australia near Wagga Wagga ("Compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf " - Gilderoy Lockhart)
Lucius: Latin, means bringer of the light
Ludo: Latin, means play
Lumos: comes from the Latin word 'lumen' (meaning light)
Luna: Latin, means moon
Lupin: comes from the word lupus from canis lupus which is the scientific name for a wolf

M
Malfoy: comes from the French phrase 'mal foi' (meaning bad faith)
Maxime: French, means large
Minerva: the name of the Roman Goddess of wisdom
Mobilicorpus: comes from the Latin words 'mobilis' (meaning moveable) and 'corpus' (meaning body)
Moody: means in an unpleasant mood
Morsmordre: comes from the Latin word 'mors' (meaning death) and the French word 'mordre' (meaning to bite)
Muffliato: comes from the word muffle (meaning to dull sound)
Mundungus: a stinking tobacco

N
Nagini: Sanskrit, means snake
Narcissa: a female form of the name Narcissus who was a man who fell in love with his reflection
Neville: French, means new town
Nicholas Flamel: the name of a real alchemist who apparently produced a real Philosopher's Stone
Nimbus: Latin, means rain
Norris: the name of a character from a Jane Austen novel
Nox: Latin, means darkness

O
Obliviate: comes from the Latin word 'oblivio' (meaning forgetfulness)
Orchideous: comes from the word 'orchid' which is a type of flower
Oppungo: Latin, means to attack

P
Padma: Sanskrit, means lotus
Parvati: the name of a Hindu Goddess
Patronus: Latin, means protector
Peeves: comes from the word 'peeve' which means to bug or annoy
Pensieve: comes from the French word 'pen' (meaning thought) and the word 'sieve' (used in separating un-dissolved substances in a suspension)
Petrificus Totalus: Latin, literally means totally petrify
Portus: com es from the Latin word 'porta' (meaning gate)
Prior Incantato: comes from the Latin word 'priori' (meaning former) and an adaptation of the word 'incantation' (meaning chant or spell)
Protego: Latin, means protect

Q
Quibbler: comes from the word 'quibble' (meaning to fib)
Quietus: comes from the word 'quiet'
Quidditch: a random word starting with the letter 'q' invented by J.K. Rowling

R
Reducio: comes from the Latin word 'reduco' (meaning to reduce)
Reducto: comes from the Latin word 'reduco' (meaning to reduce)
Regulus: the name of a star in the Alpha Leo constellation
Remus: a name from Roman mythology, Remus was raised by a female wolf along with his brother Romulus who killed him
Reparo: Latin, means to restore
Riddikulus: an adaptation of the word 'ridiculous' (meaning silly or nonsensical)
Ronald: Hebrew, means the King's advisor
Rosmerta: the Goddess of Fire in Celtic mythology
Rubeus: comes from the Latin word 'ruber' (meaning red)

S
Salazar: the name of a fascist Portuguese dictator
Sectumsempra: comes from the Latin words 'sectio' (meaning to cut) and 'semper' (meaning always)
Severus: Latin, meaning mean and strict
Sibyll: means a prophet, in mythology the sibyls relayed their prophecies to the gods
Silencio: comes from the word 'silent'
Sirius: the name of the brightest star in the heavens
Skeeter: a slang term for mosquito
Sonorous: Latin, means loud
Sprout: means to grow up from a seed in the ground
Snape: the name of a town in England
Stupefy: means to dull the senses

T
Tarantallegra: comes from the words 'tarantella' (the name of a fast Italian dance) and 'allegro' (a fast and lively tempo)
Tergeo: Latin, means to scrub or clean
Toujours Pur: French, translates to always pure

U
Umbridge: possibly comes from the word 'umbra' which means shadow

V
Veritaserum: comes from the Latin word 'veritas' (meaning truth) and the word 'serum' (meaning potion)
Voldemort: French, means fly from death

W
Weasley: meaning to resemble a weasel
Wingardium Leviosa: comes from the Latin root 'levo' (meaning to lift or raise)

Last updated: December 31, 1969

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