Definition of "mystery" []

• One that is not fully understood or that baffles or eludes the understanding; an enigma: How he got in is a mystery. (noun)
• One whose identity is unknown and who arouses curiosity: The woman in the photograph is a mystery. (noun)
• A mysterious character or quality: a landscape with mystery and charm. (noun)
• A work of fiction, a drama, or a film dealing with a puzzling crime. (noun)
• The skills, lore, or practices that are peculiar to a particular activity or group and are regarded as the special province of initiates. Often used in the plural: the mysteries of Freemasonry; the mysteries of cooking game. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• ""Great is the mystery of godliness," says Paul; and _mystery_ involves the unknown."
• "It is the function of the poet to realize and revere the mystery, but it is the duty of philosophy to explore and dissipate it, as far as possible, for _mystery is the foe of human progress_."
• "Still, a pricing system shrouded in mystery is also ripe for abuse."