Called upon or appealed to for support, aid, or inspiration, often referring to supernatural powers or authority. Past tense of invoke, meaning to cite or refer to something as justification.
From Latin invocare, composed of in- (upon) + vocare (to call), literally meaning 'to call upon.' The word entered English through French in the late 15th century, initially used in religious contexts for calling upon deities or spirits.
The word 'invoke' shares its root with 'vocal' and 'voice' - it literally means to 'call with your voice.' In programming, invoking a function carries the same ancient meaning: you're 'calling upon' code to perform its magic, just like ancient priests called upon gods!
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