different between mystery vs subtle
mystery
English
Etymology
From Middle English mysterie, from Anglo-Norman misterie (Old French mistere), from Latin mysterium, from Ancient Greek ????????? (must?rion, “a mystery, a secret, a secret rite”), from ?????? (múst?s, “initiated one”), from ???? (mué?, “I initiate”), from ??? (mú?, “I shut”). Displaced native Old English ?er?ne.
Pronunciation
- enPR: m?s?t?r?, m?s?tr?, IPA(key): /?m?st??i/, /?m?st?i/
- Hyphenation: mys?te?ry, myst?ery
Noun
mystery (countable and uncountable, plural mysteries)
- Something secret or unexplainable; an unknown. [From XIV century.]
- Someone or something with an obscure or puzzling nature.
- (obsolete) A secret or mystical meaning. [From XIV century.]
- 1567, Matteo Bandello, Certain Tragical Discourses of Bandello, tr. Geffraie Fenton:
- ...and, not knowing the meaning or misterie of her pollicie, forgat no termes of reproche or rigorous rebuke against his chast doughter.
- 1567, Matteo Bandello, Certain Tragical Discourses of Bandello, tr. Geffraie Fenton:
- A religious truth not understandable by the application of human reason alone (without divine aid). [From XIV century.]
- 1744 (first printed), Jonathan Swift, A Sermon on the Trinity
- If God should please to reveal unto us this great mystery of the Trinity, or some other mysteries in our holy religion, we should not be able to understand them, unless he would bestow on us some new faculties of the mind.
- 1744 (first printed), Jonathan Swift, A Sermon on the Trinity
- (archaic outside Eastern Orthodoxy) A sacrament. [From XV century.]
- 1809, Sir Robert Ker Porter, Travelling Sketches in Russia and Sweden: During the Years 1805, 1806, 1807, 1808:
- There are seven mysteries, or sacraments, in the Greek church, viz. baptism, the chrism (a rite peculiar to this church), the eucharist, confession, ordination, marriage, and the holy oil.
- 1809, Sir Robert Ker Porter, Travelling Sketches in Russia and Sweden: During the Years 1805, 1806, 1807, 1808:
- (chiefly in the plural) A secret religious celebration, admission to which was usually through initiation. [From XV century.]
- (Catholicism) A particular event or series of events in the life of Christ. [From XVII century.]
- A craft, art or trade; specifically a guild of craftsmen.
- 1776, Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
- The trades, the crafts, the mysteries, would all be losers.
- 1776, Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
Synonyms
- roun (obsolete)
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
References
Middle English
Etymology 1
From Anglo-Norman misterie.
Noun
mystery
- Alternative form of mysterie (“mystery”)
Etymology 2
From Old French mistere.
Noun
mystery
- Alternative form of mysterie (“duty”)
mystery From the web:
- what mystery of the rosary is today
- what mystery of the rosary is said on sunday
- what mystery of the rosary is said on saturday
- what mystery pervades a well
- what mystery of the rosary is said on monday
- what mystery of the rosary is said on friday
- what mystery of the rosary is said on tuesday
- what mystery of the rosary is said on thursday
subtle
English
Alternative forms
- subtil, subtile, suttle (all obsolete)
Etymology
From Middle English sotil, soubtil, subtil, borrowed from Old French soutil, subtil, from Latin subt?lis (“fine, thin, slender, delicate”); probably, originally, “woven fine”, and from sub (“under”) + tela (“a web”), from texere (“to weave”). Displaced native Old English sm?ag.
Pronunciation
- enPR: s?t'(?)l, IPA(key): /?s?t(?)l/, [?s????]
- Rhymes: -?t?l
Adjective
subtle (comparative subtler or more subtle, superlative subtlest or most subtle)
- Hard to grasp; not obvious or easily understood; barely noticeable.
- Antonym: simple
- 1712, Richard Blackmore, Creation: A Philosophical Poem. Demonstrating the Existence and Providence of a God. In Seven Books, book I, London: Printed for S. Buckley, at the Dolphin in Little-Britain; and J[acob] Tonson, at Shakespear's Head over-against Catherine-Street in the Strand, OCLC 731619916; 5th edition, Dublin: Printed by S. Powell, for G. Risk, G. Ewing, and W. Smith, in Dame's-street, 1727, OCLC 728300884, page 7:
- The mighty Magnet from the Center darts / This ?trong, tho' ?ubtile Force, thro' all the Parts: / Its active Rays ejaculated thence, / Irradiate all the wide Circumference.
- (of a thing) Cleverly contrived.
- (of a person or animal) Cunning, skillful.
- Synonyms: crafty, cunning, skillful
- Insidious.
- Synonyms: deceptive, malicious
- 1623, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Richard the Third, Act IV, scene 4:
- Thy age confirmed, proud, subtle, bloody, treacherous.
- Tenuous; rarefied; of low density or thin consistency.
- (obsolete) Refined; exquisite.
Derived terms
Translations
References
- subtle in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- subtle in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) , “subtle”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ?ISBN
Anagrams
- bluest, bluets, bustle, butles, sublet
subtle From the web:
- what subtle means
- whats subtle
- what does subtle
you may also like
- mystery vs subtle
- subtle vs micro
- subtle vs coning
- subtle vs slite
- subtle vs subordinate
- subtle vs intrusive
- subtle vs sligh
- pastel vs subtle
- enfeebled vs imbecile
- enfeebled vs helpless
- weak vs enfeebled
- enfeebled vs ill
- enfeebled vs enervated
- enfeebled vs sickly
- enfeebled vs fragile
- weakened vs enfeebled
- enfeebled vs debilitated
- infirm vs enfeebled
- fragile vs sensible
- fragile vs cracks