mystery


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mys·ter·y 1

 (mĭs′tə-rē)
n. pl. mys·ter·ies
1. One that is not fully understood or that baffles or eludes the understanding; an enigma: How he got in is a mystery.
2. One whose identity is unknown and who arouses curiosity: The woman in the photograph is a mystery.
3. A mysterious character or quality: a landscape with mystery and charm.
4. Something that is a secret: "From the first, some private trouble weighed on his mind, and since he chose to make a mystery of its cause, a biographer is bound to respect his wish" (Henry Adams).
5.
a. A work of fiction, such as a novel or a movie, that has a story centered around solving a puzzling crime or mysterious event.
b. A nonfictional account of a puzzling crime or mysterious event presented in the manner of a mystery.
6.
a. A religious cult practicing secret rites to which only initiates are admitted.
b. A secret rite of such a cult.
7. A religious truth that is incomprehensible to reason and knowable only through divine revelation.
8. Christianity
a. An incident from the life of Jesus, especially the Incarnation, Passion, Crucifixion, or Resurrection, of particular importance for redemption.
b. One of the 15 incidents from the lives of Jesus or the Blessed Virgin Mary, such as the Annunciation or the Ascension, serving in Roman Catholicism as the subject of meditation during recitation of the rosary.
9.
a. also Mystery One of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.
b. mysteries The consecrated elements of the Eucharist.
10. often mysteries The skills, lore, or practices that are peculiar to a particular activity or group and are regarded as the special province of initiates: the mysteries of Freemasonry; the mysteries of cooking game.
11. A mystery play.

[Middle English misterie, from Latin mystērium, from Greek mustērion, secret rite, from mustēs, an initiate, from mūein, to close the eyes, initiate. Senses 8, 9, and perhaps 10, partly from Middle English misterie, occupation, craft-guild; see mystery2.]

mys·ter·y 2

 (mĭs′tə-rē)
n. pl. mys·ter·ies Archaic
1. A trade or occupation.
2. A guild, as of merchants or artisans.

[Middle English misterie, from Medieval Latin misterium, alteration (influenced by Latin mystērium, secret rite) of Latin ministerium, from minister, assistant, servant; see mei- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

mystery

(ˈmɪstərɪ; -trɪ)
n, pl -teries
1. an unexplained or inexplicable event, phenomenon, etc
2. a person or thing that arouses curiosity or suspense because of an unknown, obscure, or enigmatic quality
3. the state or quality of being obscure, inexplicable, or enigmatic
4. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) a story, film, etc, which arouses suspense and curiosity because of facts concealed
5. (Ecclesiastical Terms) Christianity any truth that is divinely revealed but otherwise unknowable
6. (Theology) Christianity a sacramental rite, such as the Eucharist, or (when plural) the consecrated elements of the Eucharist
7. (Other Non-Christian Religions) (often plural) any of various rites of certain ancient Mediterranean religions
8. (Theatre) short for mystery play
[C14: via Latin from Greek mustērion secret rites. See mystic]

mystery

(ˈmɪstərɪ)
n, pl -teries
1. (Professions) a trade, occupation, or craft
2. (Crafts) a guild of craftsmen
[C14: from Medieval Latin mistērium, from Latin ministerium occupation, from minister official]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

mys•ter•y1

(ˈmɪs tə ri, -tri)

n., pl. -ter•ies.
1. anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown: the mysteries of nature.
2. a person or thing having qualities that arouse curiosity or speculation: The masked guest was a mystery to everyone.
3. a novel, film, or the like whose plot involves the solving of a puzzle, esp. a crime.
4. the quality of being obscure or puzzling: an air of mystery.
5. any truth unknowable except by divine revelation.
6. (in the Christian religion)
a. a sacramental rite.
b. the Eucharist.
7. an incident or scene in the life or passion of Christ, or in the life of the Virgin Mary.
8. mysteries,
a. ancient religions with secret rites and rituals known only to initiates.
b. any rites or secrets known only to initiates.
c. (in the Christian religion) the Eucharistic elements.
[1275–1325; Middle English < Latin mystērium < Greek mystḗrion=mýs(tēs) (see mystic) + -tērion n. suffix]

mys•ter•y2

(ˈmɪs tə ri)

n., pl. -ter•ies. Archaic.
1. a craft or trade.
2. a guild, as of merchants.
[1325–75; « Latin ministerium ministry]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

mystery

  • bags of mystery - Slang for sausage.
  • mystery - Traces back to Greek mustikos, "secret," and musterion, "secret rites"; the lesser-known meaning of mystery as "handicraft; art" is part of the phrase "mystery play."
  • mystify - Derived from mystery or mystic.
  • rune - An ancient alphabet letter, it is from Old English run, "secret, mystery."
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.mystery - something that baffles understanding and cannot be explainedmystery - something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained; "how it got out is a mystery"; "it remains one of nature's secrets"
perplexity - trouble or confusion resulting from complexity
2.mystery - a story about a crime (usually murder) presented as a novel or play or moviemystery - a story about a crime (usually murder) presented as a novel or play or movie
story - a piece of fiction that narrates a chain of related events; "he writes stories for the magazines"
detective story - a narrative about someone who investigates crimes and obtains evidence leading to their resolution
murder mystery - a narrative about a murder and how the murderer is discovered
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

mystery

noun
1. puzzle, problem, question, secret, riddle, enigma, conundrum, teaser, poser (informal), closed book The source of the gunshots still remains a mystery.
2. secrecy, uncertainty, obscurity, mystique, darkness, ambiguity, ambiguousness It is an elaborate ceremony, shrouded in mystery.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

mystery

noun
Anything that arouses curiosity or perplexes because it is unexplained, inexplicable, or secret:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
سِر، غُموضشَيءٌ غامِضغُمُوضٌ
záhadatajemství
mysteriummystikgåde
راز
arvoitussalaisuus
misterij
rejtély
leynd, ráîgátaleyndardómur, ráîgáta
신비
mysterium
mįslingumaspaslaptingaipaslaptingaspaslaptingumaspaslaptis
brīnumsmīklanoslēpums
mister
záhada
skrivnost
mysterium
ความลึกลับ
điều huyền bí

mystery

[ˈmɪstərɪ]
A. N
1. (gen, Rel) → misterio m
there's no mystery about itno tiene ningún misterio
to make a great mystery out of a matterrodear un asunto con un halo de misterio
it's a mystery to me where it can have goneno entiendo dónde puede haberse metido
it's a mystery how I lost itno entiendo cómo lo pude perder
2. (Literat) (also mystery story) → novela f de misterio
3. (Rel, Theat) (also mystery play) → auto m sacramental, misterio m
B. CPD mystery man Nhombre m misterioso
mystery play Nauto m sacramental, misterio m
mystery ship Nbuque m misterioso
mystery story Nnovela f de misterio
mystery tour, mystery trip Nviaje m sorpresa
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

mystery

[ˈmɪstəri]
nmystère m
to be a mystery → être un mystère
to remain a mystery → rester mystérieux/euse
to be shrouded in mystery → être enveloppé(e) de mystère murder mystery
modif [buyer, guest] → mystérieux/eusemystery story nroman m à suspense
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

mystery

n (= puzzle)Rätsel nt; (= secret)Geheimnis nt; to be shrouded or surrounded in mysteryvon einem Geheimnis umwittert or umgeben sein; there’s no mystery about itda ist überhaupt nichts Geheimnisvolles dabei; it’s a mystery to medas ist mir schleierhaft or ein Rätsel; don’t make a great mystery of it!mach doch kein so großes Geheimnis daraus!; why all the mystery?was soll denn die Geheimnistuerei?

mystery

:
mystery caller
nTestanrufer(in) m(f)
mystery calling
nTestanruf m
mystery model
n (Aut) → Erlkönig m (fig)
mystery monger
nGeheimniskrämer(in) m(f)
mystery novel
mystery play
mystery shopper
nTestkäufer(in) m(f)
mystery shopping
nTestkauf m
mystery story
nKriminalgeschichte f, → Krimi m (inf)
mystery tour
nFahrt fins Blaue; a mystery of the Black Foresteine Entdeckungsreise durch den Schwarzwald
mystery visitor
nTestbesucher(in) m(f)
mystery writer
nKriminalschriftsteller(in) m(f)
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

mystery

[ˈmɪstrɪ]
1. nmistero
it's a mystery to me where it can have gone → dove sia finito (per me) è un mistero
2. adj (man, woman) → misterioso/a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

mystery

(ˈmistəri) plural ˈmysteries noun
1. something that cannot be, or has not been, explained. the mystery of how the universe was formed; the mystery of his disappearance; How she passed her exam is a mystery to me.
2. the quality of being impossible to explain, understand etc. Her death was surrounded by mystery.
myˈsterious (-ˈstiəriəs) adjective
difficult to understand or explain, or full of mystery. mysterious happenings; He's being very mysterious (= refuses to explain fully) about what his work is
myˈsteriously adverb
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

mystery

غُمُوضٌ záhada mysterium Geheimnis μυστήριο misterio arvoitus mystère misterij mistero 신비 mysterie mysterium tajemniczość mistério тайна mysterium ความลึกลับ gizem điều huyền bí 神秘
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
References in classic literature ?
Some diners have wine too upon the table, and in the pauses of thinking what a divine mystery dinner is, they eat.
Every crime is more or less a mystery. You will see that the mysteries which the police discover are, almost without exception, mysteries made penetrable by the commonest capacity, through the extraordinary stupidity exhibited in the means taken to hide the crime.
They ran thus: "AN IMPENETRABLE MYSTERY SEEMS DESTINED TO HANG FOR EVER OVER THIS ACT OF MADNESS OR DESPAIR."
In this connected form the plays are called the Mystery or Miracle Cycles.
On that day, there was to be a bonfire on the Place de Grève, a maypole at the Chapelle de Braque, and a mystery at the Palais de Justice.
When I first got on the right track of the mystery of this case I had imagined that, on the night of the tragedy in The Yellow Room, Mademoiselle Stangerson had worn her hair in bands.
The breeze - the breath of God - is still - And the mist upon the hill Shadowy - shadowy - yet unbroken, Is a symbol and a token - How it hangs upon the trees, A mystery of mysteries!
"There is a terrible mystery around us, madame, around you, around Christine, a mystery much more to be feared than any number of ghosts or genii!"
Ten miles away the island of Murea, like some high fastness of the Holy Grail, guarded its mystery.
Even then the father did not connect the disappearance of his son with the mystery surrounding the whereabouts of the ape.
A few shook their sagacious heads, intimating that they could penetrate the mystery; while one or two affirmed that there was no mystery at all, but only that Mr.
He didn't sleep much, he was in such a sweat to get in there and find out the mystery about Phillips; and moreover he done a lot of guessing about it all night, which warn't no use, for if you are going to find out the facts of a thing, what's the sense in guessing out what ain't the facts and wasting ammunition?