arcanum

(-kā nəm)

noun pl. arcana or arcanums

  1. a secret; mystery
  2. a secret remedy; elixir

Origin: L, neut. of arcanus, shut in, hidden < arcere, to enclose: see exercise

See arcanum in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. ar·ca·na (-nə) 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.

Origin:

Origin: Latin arcānum

Origin: , from

Origin: neuter of arcānus, secret; see arcane

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