mystery
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
How often you will meet it
Rank 1,657 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 10,972 times across 175,139 chapters — 0.005% of every word in the library.
What it means
noun
- something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained also: enigma, secret, closed book how it got out is a mysteryit remains one of nature's secrets
- a story about a crime (usually murder) presented as a novel or play or movie also: mystery story, whodunit
mystery in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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Above the second story, the mystery ceases.
Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1
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So Jack was a mystery, in a manner of speaking.
The Torch and Other Tales · Eden Phillpotts · Chapter 1
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I needed only one look at him, and I had the answer to the mystery of the footprints.
The Abandoned Room · Wadsworth Camp · Chapter 1
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But he could not forget the terrible things he had seen, and hoped eagerly for a clue to the mystery.
The Yellow Fairy Book: The Grateful Beasts · World Traditions (Celtic, Norse, Asian & Persian) · Chapter 1
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There was an air of mystery about him which the inmates of the house on the Moss did nothing to dissipate.
The Shadow of a Crime: A Cumbrian Romance · Hall, Sir Caine · Chapter 1