magic bullet
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magic bullet
Where it comes from
Calque of German Zauberkugel. Coined by physician Paul Ehrlich as an allusion to the opera Der Freischütz. Compare silver bullet, from werewolf lore.
noun magic bullets
-
A simple remedy for a difficult or complex problem, especially a cure for a disease.
In recent years, penicillin-based drugs have lost some of their magic bullet status due to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Similar: miracle, panacea, silver bullet, wonder drug
Translations
Every language
noun a remedy
| 日本語 | 魔弾 madan |
|---|---|
| Português | panaceia, santo remédio, fórmula mágica |
| Français | panacée, solution miracle, remède miracle, formule magique |
| Italiano | panacea |
| Ελληνικά | μαγική συνταγή magikí syntagí |
Talk about this word "magic bullet." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/magic%20bullet. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. magic bullet. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/magic%20bullet "magic bullet." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/magic%20bullet.Cite this
@misc{magic_bullet_2026,
title = {magic bullet},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/magic%20bullet},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
