Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
noun
In Harry Potter, an object in which a wizard has concealed a part of their soul through magic, rendering them immortal until the object is irreparably damaged or destroyed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: phylactery
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Something in which one has invested a part of one's self; an object which allows for the preservation of memory, culture, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Alternative letter-case form of horcrux.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Coined by author J. K. Rowling apparently at random; "invent[ed] [...] after much transposition of syllables". Fans have pointed to the possible influence of Middle English hore (“iniquity, evil, sin”) and English crux (“the central or essential part”), or Turkish hortlak (“ghost”) among other theories. The term first appears in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005).
Across languages
9 source translations are retained for this English entry.
