arcana

Definition

Specialized knowledge that is mysterious to the uninitiated.

Etymology

From Latin arcānus (“hidden, secret”), from arcēre (“to withhold”), arca (“a chest”).

Example Sentences

• "Thou deign'st no answer,—or I fain would ask If since thy bright creation, thou hast seen Ought like a Newton, whose admitted eye The arcana of the universe explored Light's subtle ray its mechanism disclosed, The impetuous comet his mysterious lore Unfolded,"
• "The witch, repository of hieratic lore and folk legends and occult arcana, became the distributor of philtres and unguents, electuaries and pastilles, herbs and charms and incantations - directed toward sexual pleasures and amatory satisfactions."
• "This is not, however, a mere salmagundi of alphabetical arcana."

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