Glossary of magic
Magic and magician terms relevant to magic shows andmagicians.
Wolf Messing
Wolf Messing was a Russian mentalist and psychic entertainer who gained fame in the Soviet Union in the mid 1900s.…Will Goldston
Will Goldston was an innovative English magician from the late 1800s and early 1900s who founded magic shops and published…Vanish
A vanish is a type of magic effect where an object is made to disappear.Val Valentino
Val Valentino, best known as the "Masked Magician", was an American magician who exposed magic secrets on TV specials in…Uri Geller
Uri Geller, born on December 20, 1946, is an Israeli-British performer and self-proclaimed psychic, known for his trademark television performances…Trapdoors
Trapdoors are hidden openings in a stage or platform, used in magic to secretly move objects or people. Trapdoors, integral…Tony Corinda
Tony Corinda was the professional name of British mentalist Marvin Berglas. He authored pioneering books on mentalism, revealing psychology-based techniques,…Tony Andruzzi
Tony Andruzzi, known as "Neil Kileen," is an American mentalist known for headline predictions, blindfolded vision stunts, and other feats…Tommy Cooper
Tommy Cooper was a British magician and comedian known for his slapstick humor and feigned ineptitude with magic tricks. Tommy…Tim Conover
Tim Conover is an American mentalist who emphasizes imagination, psychology, and intuition in his performances. His interactive act involves mind…Thomas Bends
Thomas Bends is a German mentalist known for his mind reading performances on television. His act usually involves displays of…The Zener
The Zener, made up of performers Psych and Zen, are an Italian mentalist duo that blend magic, mind reading, technology,…The Zancigs
Julius and Agnes Zancig were a husband-and-wife mindreading act popular during the early 1900s. They claimed to demonstrate real telepathy…The Piddingtons
The Piddingtons were an Australian mentalist duo made up of Lesley and Sydney Piddington. Their act featured interactive mindreading using…The Pendragons
Jonathan and Charlotte Pendragon are American illusionists who gained fame for large-scale stage illusions like appearing to teleport across theaters…The Great Lafayette
Sigmund Neuberger, better known as The Great Lafayette, was a German illusionist in the late 1800s and early 1900s who…The Davenport Brothers
Ira and William Davenport were American magicians in the 1800s who gained fame for their spirit cabinet illusion involving rope…The Clairvoyants
The Clairvoyants are an Austrian mentalist duo made up of performers Thommy Ten and Amelie van Tass. Their act features…The Amazing Kreskin
The Amazing Kreskin, born George Joseph Kresge on January 12, 1935, is an American mentalist who became popular on television…Tenkai
Tenkai Ishida was a Japanese magician who pioneered new tricks in the late 1800s and early 1900s like the production…Telepathy
Telepathy is the ability to transmit thoughts or information between individuals without the use of senses or physical interaction. In…Telekinesis
Telekinesis, or psychokinesis, is the psychic ability to move or manipulate objects with the mind, often featured in magic and…Ted Annemann
Theodore Annemann, known as Ted Annemann, was an American mentalist most prominent in the 1920s and 1930s. Annemann specialized in…Table magic
Table magic is performed in a close-up setting, typically while seated at a table, often involving cards, coins, or small…Suggestion
Suggestion is psychological technique used to guide thoughts, feelings, or behaviors, often employed in hypnosis and mentalism. In magic, suggestion…Strolling magic
Strolling magic is close-up magic performed in a mobile, informal setting, moving from group to group. Also knows as "mingle…Street magic
Street magic is a form of magic performance which takes place in public spaces, characterized by direct interaction with random…Storytelling
Storytelling is the act of conveying events through words, images, and sounds, often structured with a beginning, middle, and end.…Stage magic
Stage magic is magic performed for a large audience, usually on a stage, involving larger-scale illusions and often assistants.Special effects
Special effects are techniques used in performing arts to create illusions or visual tricks, often using mechanical, optical, or digital…Sos and Victoria Petrosyan
This Russian husband-and-wife duo gained prominence in the 1970s and 80s with their revue-style magic show performed with a troupe…Sleight of hand
Sleight of hand is a set of manual dexterity techniques used by magicians to manipulate objects such as cards and…Siegfried & Roy
Siegfried & Roy were a German-American duo of magicians and entertainers, known for their appearances with white lions and white…Showmanship
Showmanship is the skill of making an artistic performance engaging and entertaining, crucial in the field of magic. Showmanship involves…Shin Lim
Shin Lim, born on September 25, 1991, is a Canadian-American magician recognized for his use of card manipulation and sleight…Servais Le Roy
Servais Le Roy was a Belgian magician who became famous in the late 1800s for his invention of the expanding…Roni Shachnaey
Roni Shachnaey is an Israeli mentalist who uses the art of NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) to read people's verbal and non-verbal…Robert-Houdin
Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin was a French magician in the mid-1800s considered the father of modern conjuring. He pioneered many techniques…Rob Zabrecky
Rob Zabrecky is an American mentalist and magician known for offbeat acts blending gothic horror elements with mental magic. His…Ricky Jay
Ricky Jay, born Richard Jay Potash on June 26, 1946, was an American stage magician, actor, and writer. Known for…Richiardi Jr.
Aldo Izquierdo, better known as Richiardi Jr, was a hugely influential stage magician from the 1960s through the 1990s. He…Richard Osterlind
Richard Osterlind is an American mentalist known for his influential writings that instruct magicians on incorporating mentalism techniques. His acclaimed…Reveal
In magic performance, the reveal is the climax of a magic trick where the effect (such as a prediction or…Psychic phenomena
Events or interactions seemingly influenced by the mind beyond the scope of established physical laws. These phenomena, including telepathy, clairvoyance,…Professor Hoffmann
Professor Hoffmann was the stage name of Anglo-German magician Angelo Lewis who wrote many popular books on magic in the…Princess Tenko
Princess Tenko, born Mariko Itakura on December 10, 1959, is a Japanese magician and illusionist. As one of the few…Precognition
Precognition is the ability to anticipate future events or be aware of something before it happens, often employed through the…Playing cards
Playing cards are rectangular pieces of specially prepared heavy paper, thin cardboard, or thin plastic, marked with distinguishing motifs and…Peter Turner
Peter Turner is a British mentalist who combines magic, suggestion, psychology, and intuition in his act. He is known for…Penn and Teller
An American magician duo known for their blend of comedy and magic, often incorporating elements of skepticism and debunking pseudoscience.…Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller are an American magician duo consisting of Penn Jillette and Raymond Teller. They have performed together since…Peek
A peek is a secret method used by mentalists to gain information, such as the identity of a chosen card,…PC Sorcar
Protul Chandra Sorcar, known as P. C. Sorcar, was an Indian magician called the "father of Indian magic" for helping…Paul Brook
Paul Brook is a British mentalist known for interactive mind reading stunts where he reveals audience members' thoughts, duplications their…Patter
Patter is the script that accompanies a magic trick, used to engage the audience, provide misdirection, and enhance the overall…Palming
Palming is a sleight of hand technique where an object (like a coin or card) is held in an apparently…Oz Pearlman
Oz Pearlman is an American mentalist known for his clever and engaging interactive performances involving mindreading, prediction, influence, and psychic…Nonverbal cues
Nonverbal cues involve communication methods other than words, including gestures, body language, facial expressions, eye contact, and tone of voice.…Nina Kulagina
Nina Kulagina was a controversial Soviet psychic and mentalist who claimed telekinetic abilities enabling her to move objects with the…Nakul Shenoy
Nakul Shenoy is an American mentalist who combines magic, psychology, intuition and humor in his performances. Notable mindreading stunts include…Misty Lee
An American magician, known for her her performances in magic, particularly seances, and comedic performance style.Misdirection
In magic, misdirection is an act of misleading, by word or gesture, to convince the spectator to concentrate in an incorrect…Mirrors
In magic, mirrors are often used to create illusions of invisibility, duplication, or transformation. The magician used mirrors to…Micro-expressions
Micro-expressions are brief, nonverbal facial contortions that reveal a person’s emotions and intentions. Micro-expressions last for only a fraction of…Michael Weber
Michael Weber is an American mentalist known for mindreading stunts like duplicating drawings made by audience members while blindfolded. He…Michael Gutenplan
Michael Gutenplan is an American mentalist known for highly visual presentations and ability to read body language. His fast-paced act…Michael Ammar
Michael Ammar, born on June 25, 1956, is an American magician known for his work with close-up magic, particularly with…Mesmerism
Mesmerism is the therapeutic application of hypnotism, named after Franz Mesmer who proposed the concept of "animal magnetism." Mesmerism involves…Mentalist
A mentalist is a performance artist who performs tricks and illusions associated with mental powers, such as telepathy, mind control,…Mentalism
Mentalism is the performance art of creating illusions of mind reading and other mental feats. Mentalism is a performing art…Max Maven
Max Maven, born Philip Goldstein in 1950, is an American magician and mentalist. Known for his sophisticated and often mysterious…Max Malini
Max Malini was an American magician born in the late 1800s who performed sleight of hand and large-scale illusions. He…Maurice Fogel
Maurice Fogel was an American mentalist known for his vaudeville and theater shows during the early 1900s. His act consisted…Mat Franco
Mat Franco, born on May 10, 1988, is an American magician and the winner of the ninth season of America's…Mark Wilson
Mark Wilson, born on April 11, 1929, is an American magician who had the first network television magic series, The…Marc Salem
Marc Salem, born on September 16, 1950, is an American mentalist known for his highly intellectual, interactive mind reading performances.…Marc Paul
Marc Paul is a German mentalist known for bold public prediction stunts like guessing headlines weeks in advance and identifying…Magic
Magic is an art form in which magicians, illusionists, and mentalists use techniques like sleight of hand and misdirection to…Mac King
Mac King, born on December 2, 1959, is an American magician who has performed on television specials, often in one-off…Luke Jermay
Luke Jermay is a British mentalist known for mindreading presentations that blend magic, suggestion, psychology, and showmanship. His skills include…Lu Chen
Lu Chen is a Chinese magician who combines illusion and Chinese traditional arts like shadow play and acrobatics. He gained…Lior Suchard
Lior Suchard, born in 1982, is an Israeli mentalist, magician and entertainer. He performs mind reading feats where he guesses…Levitation
The process by which an object is held aloft, without mechanical support, in a stable position. In magic, levitation is…Le Grand David
Le Grand David and his own Spectacular Magic Company were an American magic troupe led by Cesareo Pelaez. With a…Large-scale illusions
Large-scale illusions are complex, large-scale magical performances that involve elaborate sets, props, or special effects. They are designed to amaze…Lance Burton
Lance Burton, born William Lance Burton on March 10, 1960, is an American stage magician. He performed in Las Vegas…Kyle Johnson
Kyle Johnson is a mentalist from Long Island, New York who performs an interactive mind reading act across the United…Kuda Bux
Kuda Bux was an Indian mystic magician known for his blindfold acts, including safely riding a bike through traffic while…Kristen Johnson
An American escapologist, known as "Lady Houdini," recognized for her water torture cell escape. Johnson's performances often involve escapology, physical…Keith Barry
Keith Barry is an Irish mentalist, magician and hypnotist who won fame through television specials in the 1990s and 2000s.…Karl Germain
Karl Germain was a German magician active in the late 1800s and early 1900s. His specialties included manipulation and sleight…Juliana Chen
Juliana Chen is a Chinese magician known for her manipulation acts, especially with playing cards. Chen's magic often involves close-up…Juan Tamariz
Juan Tamariz, born on October 18, 1942, in Spain, is a magician specializing in close-up magic. He is well-known in…Jon Finch
Jon Finch is an American mentalist, magician, and mind reader. He specializes in highly visual and interactive performances that astonish…Jon Finch
Jon Finch is an American magician who specializes in highly visual and interactive performances that mystify audiences. Finch's skills include…Johnny Thompson
Johnny Thompson, also known as "The Great Tomsoni", born on July 27, 1934, was a Polish-American magician who performed with…Jerome Finley
Jerome Finley is an American mentalist who emphasizes intuition, hypnosis, and ritual in his act. Finley's serious style involves demonstrations…Jeff McBride
Jeff McBride, born on September 24, 1959, is an American magician known for his skill in mask work, manipulation, and…Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin
Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin was a French watchmaker, considered the 'Father of Modern Magic' and often credited as the first professional…Jason Suran
Jason Suran is an American mentalist who emphasizes the psychology of deceit and reading body language. His interactive performances test…