apocrypha
/əˈpɒk.ɹə.fə/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 2.48 in modern English
21
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
plural of apocryphon
noun
Something, as a writing, that is of doubtful authorship or authority (formerly also used attributively).
Uncountable
name
That group of works which formed part of the Septuagint, but not of the Hebrew canon recognized by the Jews, and which is considered by some Christians to form an authentic part of Scripture, but which is rejected by others (namely by Protestants).
Example Sentences
- "But it may be objected, that these books being in the Jews' canon , ought to be acknowledged for divinely inspired , rather than the apocryphas that never were in it"
- "Our entymological^([sic – meaning etymological]) approaches to the I or Change in the I Ching seem to confirm one of the well known apocryphas, I-Wei Ch'ien tso-tu."
- "Parts of the city were unearthed and we could clearly see an almost square citadel with massive walls and a deep moat, beyond which were the outer residential quarters, shopping centre, etc. This made me think of an apocrypha of the Bogomil teaching: 'I, the prophet Isaiah, blessed among the prophets by our Lord God Jesus Christ, have come by the Will of God to tell you what will happen in the last days of the human race...' He was talking of an uncertain future, while here before us we had a tale of realities of the past."
- "We are the women with thread bags anchored deep in our bosoms containing blood agreements silver coins and cloves of garlic and an apocrypha of Nanny’s secrets."
- "The story of the Arsenal mural has drifted, over the years, into something more closely resembling a myth. What should be straightforward details are now shrouded in fog, tangled by apocrypha."
Etymology
From Middle English apocrypha, apocrifa, apocrif, from Late Latin apocryphus (“secret, not approved for public reading”), from Ancient Greek ἀπόκρυφος (apókruphos, “hidden, obscure”, thus “(books) of unknown authorship”), from ἀπό (apó, “from”) + κρύπτω (krúptō, “to hide”). Properly plural (the singular would be apocryphon), but commonly treated as a collective singular. “Apocryphal” meaning “of doubtful authenticity” is first attested in English in 1590.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: apocrypha, apocryphus, ἀπόκρυφος
Usage
Inflected Forms
apocryphas (plural)