Word of the Day 6.17.9

arcanum

ar·ca·num (är-knm)

n. pl. ar·ca·na (-n) or ar·ca·nums

1. A deep secret; a mystery.

2. often arcana Specialized knowledge or detail that is mysterious to the average person: “knows the arcana of police procedure and the intricacies of litigation” George F. Will.

3. A secret essence or remedy; an elixir.

[Latin arcnum, from neuter of arcnus, secret; see arcane.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Noun

1.

arcanum – information known only to a special group; “the secret of Cajun cooking”

secret

info, information – a message received and understood

esoterica – secrets known only to an initiated minority

cabala, cabbala, cabbalah, kabala, kabbala, kabbalah, qabala, qabalah – an esoteric or occult matter resembling the Kabbalah that is traditionally secret

countersign, password, watchword, parole, word – a secret word or phrase known only to a restricted group; “he forgot the password”

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Posted on June 17, 2009 by admin

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