Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

avada kedavra

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.62 in modern English

Syllables
avada ke-davra
IPA
24
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To use the Killing Curse from the Harry Potter series on (someone), causing immediate death.

Humorous

verb

To destroy (something).

Humorous; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

Verbalization of the incantation of the Killing Curse in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Rowling has stated that it is from Aramaic עַבְדָא כְּדַבְרָא (avda kedavra, literally “what was said has been done”), calling it “the original of abracadabra, which means ‘let the thing be destroyed’”; compare Hebrew עַבְרָא כְּדַבְרָא (avra kedavra, literally “what was said has come to pass”). In fact, a relationship of these terms with abracadabra (of unknown origin) has been suggested, but there is little supporting evidence.

Word Breakdown

  • Root: עַבְדָא כְּדַבְרָא

Usage

Inflected Forms

Questions

What does avada kedavra mean?
To use the Killing Curse from the Harry Potter series on (someone), causing immediate death.
Where does avada kedavra come from?
Verbalization of the incantation of the Killing Curse in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Rowling has stated that it is from Aramaic עַבְדָא כְּדַבְרָא (avda kedavra, literally “what was said has been done”), calling it “the original of abracadabra, which means ‘let the thing be destroyed’”; compare Hebrew עַבְרָא כְּדַבְרָא (avra kedavra, literally “what was said has come to pass”). In fact, a relationship of these terms with abracadabra (of unknown origin) has been suggested, but there is little supporting evidence.

How to pronounce avada kedavra

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