arcane

arcane
/ahr kayn"/, adj.
known or understood by very few; mysterious; secret; obscure; esoteric: She knew a lot about Sanskrit grammar and other arcane matters.
[1540-50; ( < MF) < L arcanus, equiv. to arc(ere) to shut up, keep (deriv. of arca a chest, box) + -anus -AN]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Arcane — Ar*cane , a. [L. arcanus.] Hidden; secret. [Obs.] The arcane part of divine wisdom. Berkeley. [1913 Webster] || …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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  • arcane — I adjective esoteric, incomprehensible, inexplicable, inscrutable, mysterious, recondite, unaccountable, unfathomable, unintelligible, unrecognizable II index clandestine, confidential, esoteric, hidden …   Law dictionary

  • arcane — ARCANE. s. m. Mot emprunté du Latin par les Alchimistes, pour désigner quelqu une de leurs opérations mystérieuses …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • arcane — (adj.) 1540s, from L. arcanus secret, hidden, private, concealed, from arcere close up, enclose, contain, from arca chest, box, place for safe keeping, from PIE *ark to hold, contain, guard (Cf. Gk. arkos defense, arkein to ward off; Arm. argel… …   Etymology dictionary

  • arcane — s. m. Composição metálica para estanhar metais …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • arcane — *mysterious, inscrutable Analogous words: occult, esoteric, *recondite: cabalistic, anagogic, mystic, *mystical …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • arcane — [adj] hidden, secret cabalistic, esoteric, impenetrable, mysterious, mystic, occult, recondite, unaccountable, unknowable; concept 576 Ant. common, commonplace, known, normal, outward …   New thesaurus

  • arcane — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ understood by few; mysterious. DERIVATIVES arcanely adverb. ORIGIN Latin arcanus, from arca chest …   English terms dictionary

  • arcane — [är kān′] adj. [< L arcanus: see ARCANUM] 1. hidden or secret 2. understood by only a few; esoteric …   English World dictionary

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