conjure
Definitions
To make something appear as if by magic
（似变魔术般）变出
To call an image, memory, or feeling into the mind (often 'conjure up')
（在脑海中）唤起，使浮现
To summon a spirit by a magic spell
施咒召唤（神灵、鬼魂）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedcon- (together) + jūrāre (to swear) = originally 'to bind people together by oath, to conspire.' Medieval magic borrowed the idea of binding a spirit *by oath* to obey, so conjure shifted to 'summon by spell.' Today its commonest use is figurative: 'conjure up' a memory or image.
Root jur still carries 75 more wordsWhy It Means This
An unexpected member of the oath family. The link from 'swear together' to 'do magic' runs through the idea of binding by oath: a sorcerer 'conjured' a spirit by swearing it to obedience. The legal oath faded; the spell stayed. That's why the everyday sense is now 'conjure up an image,' as if summoning it from nowhere.
Common Collocations
- 1.conjure up变出，唤起
- 2.conjure an image唤起一个画面
- 3.conjure a memory唤起回忆
- 4.conjure out of thin air凭空变出
Example Sentences
- 1.
The magician conjured a dove out of his empty hat.
- 2.
The smell of bread conjured up memories of her grandmother.
- 3.
He somehow conjured a winning goal in the last minute.