arcane

[ahr-keyn] /ɑrˈkeɪn/

adjective

known or understood by very few; mysterious; secret; obscure; esoteric:

She knew a lot about Sanskrit grammar and other arcane matters.

Origin

1540-50; (< Middle French) < Latin arcānus, equivalent to arc(ēre) to shut up, keep (derivative of arca a chest, box) + -ānus -an

Examples from the web for arcane

Visitors browse among arcane and popular titles or among the cards and calendars.
He was a disciplined and chiselled prose stylist who could not resist dropping names and arcane terms into his work.
Stay tuned for a very arcane discussion of Latin grammar.
Everyone will learn a lot about the arcane art of scrimshaw.
Such distinctions might seem arcane to the casual observer.
And while the inside stories were in a sense secret, they were scarcely miraculous or arcane.
The illustrations are a mix of overfamiliar and refreshingly arcane.
In the past, the methods of quantitative assessment were laborious and arcane.
Even arcane rules are tough to recognize in real time.
Here's a guide to the arcane terminology of the book world.

British Dictionary definitions for arcane

arcane

/ɑːˈkeɪn/

adjective

requiring secret knowledge to be understood; mysterious; esoteric

Derived Forms

arcanely, adverb
arcaneness, noun

Word Origin

C16: from Latin arcānus secret, hidden, from arcēre to shut up, keep safe

Word Origin and History for arcane

adj.

1540s, from Latin arcanus "secret, hidden, private, concealed," from arcere "close up, enclose, contain," from arca "chest, box, place for safe-keeping," from PIE *ark- "to hold, contain, guard" (cf. Greek arkos "defense," arkein "to ward off;" Armenian argel "obstacle;" Lithuanian raktas "key," rakinti "to shut, lock").