mystical, a.
(ˈmɪstɪkəl)
Also 5–8 misti-, 6 myste-, mysty-.
[Formed as mystic a.: see -ical.]
1. Having a certain spiritual character or import by virtue of a connexion or union with God transcending human comprehension: said esp. with reference to the Church as the Body of Christ, and to sacramental ordinances. (Cf. mystic a. 1.)
| 1529 More Suppl. Soulys Wks. 327/2 Christes mistical body that is his church. 1549 Bk. Com. Prayer, Communion, All they whyche bee of the misticall body of thy sonne. 1550 Senonoys tr. Godly Saiyngs (1846) 118 The mystycal or sacramental breade. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxvii. §7 A true..participation of Christ, who thereby imparteth himselfe..as a misticall head vnto euery soule that receiueth him. 1633 G. Herbert Temple, Ch., Superl., Approach, and taste The churches mysticall repast. 1660 Coke Power & Subj. 77 These two individual persons, by the law of God, are made one mystical person, of which the husband is head. 1845 Encycl. Metrop. II. 901/1 This mystical body, the Catholic Church. 1864 Neale Seaton. Poems 165 They eat the mystical supper. |
b. (Spiritually) allegorical or symbolical.
| ? a 1500 Chester Pl. (E.E.T.S.) viii. 333 Dauid..prophesied that kinges from Tharsis and Araby with misticall giftes shall come and present that Lord. 1529 More Dyaloge i. Wks. 160/2 The misticall gestures and seremonies vsed in the masse. 1530 Palsgr. Introd. p. xvi, The nombre of thre, whiche of all other is most..mystycall. 1555 Saunders Let. in Coverdale's Lett. Martyrs (1564) 204 Though he stand behynd the wal and hyde himselfe (as Salomon saieth in his mystical ballade). 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. iii. xi. 12 To make up the rotundity of so sacred, and mystical a number. 1690 T. Burnet Th. Earth iii. Concl. 113 'Tis plain to me in the Apocalypse, that Mystical Babylon is to be consum'd by fire. 1861 E. Garbett Bible & its Critics i. 32 The mystical horseman in the Apocalypse. |
c. In the interpretation of Scripture, applied to the spiritual or allegorical sense which is held to underlie the obvious or literal meaning.
| 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 4 b, Leest he wolde lene all togyder to the litteral sense of scripture, and not to y⊇ spiritual or mistical sense. 1553 Wilson Rhet. 62 b, Some do use after the literal sense to gather a misticall understandyng. 1662–3 South Serm. (1727) V. 53, I profess not myself either skilled, or delighted, in mystical Interpretations of Scripture. 1860 Pusey Min. Proph. 620 S. Jerome gives here the mystical meaning. |
2. Having an unseen, unknown, or mysterious origin, character, effect, or influence; of dark import, obscure meaning, or occult influence. Now rare or Obs. (Cf. mystic a. 5.)
| a 1500–34 Coventry Corpus Chr. Plays (1902) 12/341 Were mystecall vnto youre heryng,—Of the natevete off a kyng. 1533 Elyot Cast. Helthe (1539) 33 In the serchyng out of secrete and misticall thynges, their wyttes excellyd. 1587 Golding De Mornay (1592) Ep. Ded. p. v, Least the matters which in some cases are misticall enough of themselues by reason of their owne profoundnesse, might haue ben made more obscure. 1643 Milton Soveraigne Salve 21 While they mature..such their mysticall and pernicious designes. 1727 S. Shuckford Hist. World I. Pref. p. l, Instead of supporting them with Reason and Argument, they had them expressed in mystical Sentences. 1743 Bulkeley & Cummins Voy. S. Seas 104 [He] has not only traduc'd us, but made the whole affair so dark and mystical, that [etc.]. 1824 S. E. Ferrier Inher. xxxiv, Struck with the mystical fragments of speech she had bestowed on him. 1829 Scott Anne of G. i, I would..we had that mystical needle which mariners talk of. 1848 Lytton Harold x. i, That illness had been both preceded and followed by mystical presentiments of the evil days [etc.]. |
† b. Of a person: Obscure in speech or in style.
| 1471 Ripley Comp. Alch. in Ashm. (1652) 111 Though I dare not here plainly the knot unbinde, Yet in my writeing I wyll not be so Mysticall, But that [etc.]. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 18 Such mysticall Mist-all and Misse-all Interpreters. 1626 Bacon Sylva §96 A Physitian, that would be Mysticall, prescribeth, for the Cure of the Rheume, that a Man should walk Continually upon a Camomill-alley; Meaning, that he should put Camomill within his Socks. |
3. Connected with mysterious or occult rites or practices. (Cf. mystic a. 2.)
| 1577 tr. Bullinger's Decades iii. vi. 386/2 Their mysticall apparaile, & their sundrie offices. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 48 Too you for wytnesse do I cal; you mystical altars. 1667 Milton P.L. v. 620 Mystical dance, which yonder starrie Spheare Of Planets and of fixt in all her Wheeles Resembles nearest. 1740 C'tess of Hertford Corr. (1806) II. 10 The Court and army danced what they called a mystical dance. 1801 Campbell Lochiel's Warn. 55 'Tis the sunset of life gives me mystical lore, And coming events cast their shadows before. 1869 F. W. Newman Misc. 192 Their smell when burnt, and the mystical cloud of smoke, were universally esteemed. |
† 4. Secret, unavowed, concealed; = mystic a. 3.
| 1611 Second Maiden's Trag. ii. i. in Hazl. Dodsley X. 419 Confess, thou mystical panderess! a 1687 Petty Pol. Anat. (1691) 38 This is the State of the External and Apparent Government of Ireland... But the Internal and Mystical Government of Ireland is thus. |
5. = mystic a. 4. Also, pertaining to or characteristic of mystics (see mystic n. 2); relating to, or of the nature of, mysticism.
| 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 572 So many are the interpretations in their mysticall Theologie, that Truth must needs be absent, which is but One. 1647 Cressy Exomologesis lxxv. 635 Mysticall Theology being nothing else in generall but certaine rules by the practise whereof a vertuous Christian might atteine to a nearer..conversation with God. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. xvi. 179 His soul imployed in mysticall meditations. c 1710 Burnet Autobiogr. in Suppl. Hist. (1902) 473 With my ascetick course of life I joined the reading all the Misticall Authors I could find; in particular all Teresa's works. 1841 D'Israeli Amen. Lit. (1859) II. 50 The mystical Pythagoras, and the allegorising Plato. 1844 W. G. Ward Ideal Chr. Ch. 326 Mystical theology is the ascetic theology of those, who are unusually advanced in the Christian course, and leading a life of unearthly and noble sanctity. 1884 Encycl. Brit. XVII. 129/2 The intuition or ecstasy or mystical swoon which appears alike among the Hindus, the Neo-Platonists, and the mediæval saints. 1904 Illingworth Chr. Char. ix. 182 Both [St. Paul and St. John] were men the basis of whose life was profoundly mystical. |