An early system on the midac computer.

[Listed in CACM 2(5):16 (May 1959)].

[jargon file]

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]