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 allows something 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)

In addition suitable contents:
[ 2 ] [ = ] [ ad ] [ ag ] [ ai ] [ al ] [ alt ] [ am ] [ an ] [ ar ] [ arc ] [ arg ] [ arity ] [ at ] [ au ] [ automagically ] [ av ] [ aw ] [ b ] [ be ] [ bi ] [ bit ] [ black magic ] [ bo ] [ by ] [ byte ] [ C ] [ ca ] [ cat ] [ category ] [ Ch ] [ ch ] [ ci ] [ ck ] [ co ] [ com ] [ con ] [ control ] [ de ] [ deep magic ] [ du ] [ ec ] [ echo ] [ ed ] [ ee ] [ eg ] [ er ] [ era ] [ es ] [ et ] [ feature ] [ fi ] [ file ] [ fo ] [ for ] [ fr ] [ ge ] [ gen ] [ gh ] [ gi ] [ gu ] [ gy ] [ h ] [ hack ] [ hackish ] [ hat ] [ heavy wizardry ] [ hing ] [ hn ] [ hr ] [ hu ] [ id ] [ ie ] [ il ] [ in ] [ io ] [ ir ] [ is ] [ it ] [ J ] [ Jargon File ] [ ke ] [ ki ] [ la ] [ Lex ] [ li ] [ lt ] [ ly ] [ M ] [ ma ] [ magic number ] [ Magic Switch Story ] [ mo ] [ mod ] [ module ] [ mp ] [ na ] [ nc ] [ ne ] [ nf ] [ ng ] [ no ] [ ns ] [ nu ] [ om ] [ pa ] [ parity ] [ pe ] [ ph ] [ pl ] [ query ] [ rc ] [ re ] [ real ] [ rl ] [ ro ] [ routine ] [ ru ] [ rw ] [ S ] [ se ] [ sh ] [ si ] [ so ] [ spec ] [ st ] [ struct ] [ su ] [ T ] [ tc ] [ technology ] [ th ] [ to ] [ tr ] [ troll ] [ ug ] [ um ] [ va ] [ ve ] [ wizard ] [ wizardly ] [ ws ] [ Y ] [ ye ] [ yt ] [ za ]