Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A book of magical knowledge, especially one containing spells.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A book of instructions in the use of magic or alchemy, especially summoning demons.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a manual of black magic (for invoking spirits and demons)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, from Old French, from alteration (probably influenced by grimuche, grotesque figure, grimace, grimace and kindred Old French words) of gramaire, grammar, the study of Latin literature; see grammar.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French gramaire, from Ancient Greek γραμματικός (grammatikos, "knowing how to read and write"). See also grammar, glamour.

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Examples

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  • More than a book of magic, it is a book of black magic, containing evil spells or spells of necromancy.

    February 7, 2007