n., pl., -ies.
- One that is not fully understood or that baffles or eludes the understanding; an enigma: How he got in is a mystery.
- One whose identity is unknown and who arouses curiosity: The woman in the photograph is a mystery.
- A mysterious character or quality: a landscape with mystery and charm.
- A work of fiction, a drama, or a film dealing with a puzzling crime.
- The skills, lore, or practices that are peculiar to a particular activity or group and are regarded as the special province of initiates. Often used in the plural: the mysteries of Freemasonry; the mysteries of cooking game.
- A religious truth that is incomprehensible to reason and knowable only through divine revelation.
- An incident from the life of Jesus, especially the Incarnation, Passion, Crucifixion, or Resurrection, of particular importance for redemption.
- 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.
- also Mystery One of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.
- mysteries The consecrated elements of the Eucharist.
- A religious cult practicing secret rites to which only initiates are admitted.
- A secret rite of such a cult.
[Middle English misterie, from Latin mystērium, from Greek mustērion, secret rite, from mustēs, an initiate, from mūein, to close the eyes, initiate.]
mys·ter·y2 (mĭs'tə-rē)
n., pl., -ies.
- Archaic. A trade or an occupation.
- Archaic. A guild, as of merchants or artisans.
- A mystery play.
[Middle English misterie, service, craft, from Medieval Latin misterium, craft-guild, from Late Latin, alteration of Latin ministerium, occupation, from minister, assistant, servant.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
