Grimoire
noun /ˈɡrɪmwɑːr/ — A book of magic — spells, invocations, and secret knowledge.
Definition
A book of magic spells, invocations, and instructions for magical rituals; historically, any manual of esoteric knowledge.
Beyond the definition
A grimoire is not a novel or a textbook — it's a book that holds knowledge meant to be used, not just read. The word carries a specific gravity: this is the kind of book that matters. Writers and readers sometimes describe the books that changed them as grimoires — books that felt like they were written for you specifically.
Origin & history
From Old French grammaire 'grammar, book of learning', a word that became associated with occult learning because Latin was incomprehensible to most people and seemed magical. The word 'glamour' (originally a Scots word for magic spell) shares the same root.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The library's special collections included a 16th-century grimoire still sealed with its original wax.
She kept a personal grimoire — a notebook where she collected phrases, remedies, and private knowledge.
He treated the recipe book like a grimoire: consulted solemnly, never improvised from.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Grimoire” when the meaning fits your context: A book of magic spells, invocations, and instructions for magical rituals; historically, any manual of esoteric knowledge.
Synonyms
book of spells, spellbook, manual, compendium, codex
Antonyms
novel, fiction, guide
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Grimoire" mean?
Grimoire is noun meaning: A book of magic — spells, invocations, and secret knowledge.. A book of magic spells, invocations, and instructions for magical rituals; historically, any manual of esoteric knowledge.
Where does the word "Grimoire" come from?
From Old French grammaire 'grammar, book of learning', a word that became associated with occult learning because Latin was incomprehensible to most people and seemed magical. The word 'glamour' (originally a Scots word for magic spell) shares the same root.