occultism

oc·cult·ism

[uh-kuhl-tiz-uhm]
noun
1.
belief in the existence of secret, mysterious, or supernatural agencies.
2.
the study or practice of occult arts.

Origin:
1880–85; occult + -ism

oc·cult·ist, noun, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
occultism (ˈɒkʌlˌtɪzəm) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
belief in and the study and practice of magic, astrology, etc
 
occultist
 
n, —adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Occultism is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

occultism
1881, from occult + -ism.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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