arcane

/ɑɹˈkeɪn/

adj 4

Collocations

ADJ.

full, scientific, seasoned, uncovered

VERB + ARCANE

finding, manipulate, simplify, sounds

ARCANE + NOUN

data, incantations, knowledge, researchers, rituals

PREP.

than

ADV.

completely

Definitions

adj

Understood by only a few.

arcane rituals

arcane knowledge

Obscure, mysterious.

arcane origins

arcane details

Requiring secret or mysterious knowledge to understand.

1997: Chris Horrocks, Introducing Foucault, page 67, The Renaissance Episteme (Totem Books, Icon Books; →ISBN A “signature” was placed on all things by God to indicate their affinities — but it was hidden, hence the search for arcane knowledge. Knowing was guessing and interpreting, not observing or demonstrating.

Extremely old (e.g. interpretation or knowledge), and possibly irrelevant.

an arcane law

Thesaurus

Synonyms

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

Example Bank

arcane rituals

Wiktionary

arcane knowledge

Wiktionary

The professor’s lecture was full of arcane references.

Wiktionary

Nowadays, the fourteenth century's debate about the Eucharist sounds completely arcane.

Tatoeba · #955376

We uncovered this arcane.

Tatoeba · #1506645

The warm punch fuming in the icy air called to mind caldrons, witches, and arcane incantations.

Tatoeba · #2119604

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