MYSTERY

I. noun (plural -teries) Etymology: Middle English mysterie, from Latin mysterium, from Greek mystērion, from mystēs initiate Date: 14th century 1. a religious truth that one can know only by revelation and cannot fully understand, b. any of the 15 events (as the Nativity, the Crucifixion, or the Assumption) serving as a subject for meditation during the saying of the rosary, a Christian sacrament, c. a secret religious rite believed (as in Eleusinian and Mithraic cults) to impart enduring bliss to the initiate, a cult devoted to such rites, 2. something not understood or beyond understanding ; enigma , a private secret, the secret or specialized practices or ritual peculiar to an occupation or a body of people , a piece of fiction dealing usually with the solution of a mysterious crime, profound, inexplicable, or secretive quality or character , Synonyms: see: ~ II. noun (plural -teries) see: minister Date: 14th century trade , craft , a body of persons engaged in a particular trade, business, or profession ; guild , ~ play