Definition

1. Noun:
   • A magical spirit in Arabian stories: A genie is a supernatural being from Middle Eastern folklore, often depicted as a powerful spirit that can grant wishes or perform magic when summoned or released from a container like a lamp or bottle.
   • An invisible spirit in Islamic tradition: In Islamic belief, a genie (or jinni) is an intelligent spirit, created from smokeless fire, that inhabits the earth and can appear in human or animal form to influence people.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • In the story, Aladdin rubbed the lamp and a genie appeared to grant him three wishes.
  • According to the legend, the fisherman released a powerful genie from the bottle.
  • The concept of the genie originates from pre-Islamic Arabian mythology.

Advanced Usage

• "The genie is out of the bottle": An idiom meaning that something (often a powerful force, idea, or problem) has been released and cannot be controlled or put back.
  • With the invention of the internet, the genie of instant global communication is out of the bottle.

Variants and Related Words

• Jinni (or Jinn) (n): The original Arabic term for the class of spirits to which a genie belongs. "Genie" is the anglicized form.
  • The tales often speak of jinn who can be either helpful or mischievous.
• Djinn (n): An alternative spelling for jinn.
  • The old manuscript described encounters with djinn in the desert.

Synonyms

• Spirit: A supernatural being.
• Demon: Often implies a malevolent spirit, but some genies can be demonic.
• Supernatural being: A general term for entities not bound by natural laws.

Related Phrases

• To rub the lamp: To activate or summon a genie, often used metaphorically to mean triggering a powerful or unexpected outcome.
  • By questioning the old policy, he didn't realize he was rubbing the lamp.

Related Idioms

• "Have a genie in a bottle": To possess a source of great power or potential that is contained or controlled.
  • The new technology is like having a genie in a bottle; we must use it wisely.

Noun

1. (Islam) an invisible spirit mentioned in the Koran and believed by Muslims to inhabit the earth and influence mankind by appearing in the form of humans or animals