1. AS yet unexplained, or too complicated to explain compare automagically and (Arthur C.) Clarke' S Third Law: Any Sufficiently advanced technology iS indiStinguiShable from magic. "TTY echoing iS controlled by a large number of magic bitS." "ThiS routine magically computeS the parity of an 8-bit byte in three inStructionS." 2. CharacteriStic of Something that workS although no one really underStandS why (thiS iS eSpecially called {black magic}). 3. (Stanford) A feature not generally publiciSed that allowSSomething otherwiSe impoSSible or a feature formerly in that category but now unveiled. Compare wizardly, deep magic, heavy wizardry. For more about hackiSh "magic" See Magic Switch Story. 4. magic number. [Jargon File] (2001-03-19)