1. A magic spell or incantation, especially one used in witchcraft or sorcery.
Usage: Scottish and Northern English dialect; archaic or literary

Examples

• The old woman muttered a cantrap to ward off evil.
• In Scottish folklore, a cantrap was believed to have real magical power.
• He dismissed her warnings as mere cantraps and superstition.
• The witch's cantrap was said to protect the village from harm.