Word of the Day

Monday, October 29, 2001

arcanum

\ar-KAY-nuhm\ , noun;

plural arcana \-nuh\

A secret; a mystery.

Specialized or mysterious knowledge, language, or information that is not accessible to the average person (generally used in the plural).

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Quotes:

Through the years, Usenet evolved into an international forum on thousands of topics, called Usenet news groups, from the arcana of programming languages to European travel tips.

-- Katie Hafner, "James T. Ellis, 45, a Developer of Internet Discussion Network, Is Dead", New York Times, July 1, 2001

Here we must enter briefly into the technical arcana of employment law.

-- Paul F. Campos, JurismaniaThe Madness of American Law

Origin:

Arcanum is from the Latin, from arcanus "closed, secret," from arca, "chest, box," from arcere, "to shut in."