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# mystery

«mystery» in Mova's school dictionary: **something strange that is not known or explained yet** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 4 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (mystery, mysteries); adjective (mystery — unknown)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A mystery is something strange that is not known or explained yet. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mystery/#m1)

2) A mystery is a story or film about solving a crime or a puzzle, often by a detective. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mystery/#m2)

3) «A mystery number» or «mystery prize» is one you do not know yet. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mystery/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In school maths: a «mystery number» to find (the unknown), often found by doing the opposite operation; number riddles. In literacy: mystery stories, clues, detectives, suspects. In science: mysteries scientists still try to solve, like what is at the bottom of the ocean. Phrases: «solve the mystery», «a mystery to me», «mystery story», «murder mystery».

### examples

- The mystery number plus 6 is 15. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mystery/#x1)
- Find the mystery number. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mystery/#x2)
- She reads a mystery book of 200 pages. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mystery/#x3)
- Solve the mystery: who has more? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mystery/#x4)
- How the dog got onto the roof is a mystery. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mystery/#x5)
- The detective followed the clues to solve the mystery. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mystery/#x6)
- It's a mystery to me why he left. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mystery/#x7)
- I am thinking of a mystery number: double it and you get 14. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mystery/#x8)
- Everything was said in whispers, every word was a mystery. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mystery/#x9)

### note

Plural «mysteries» (y changes to ies). «Mysterious» is the adjective. Maths: «mystery number» is the unknown, often found by doing the opposite operation (15 − 6 = 9). Trap: check the answer by putting it back into the riddle.

### In the corpora

- [Mystery bags make buying exciting, but you pay for the surprise and often get things you do not want.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/money/10-regret-silly-buys-and-peer-pressure/8/)
- [A loot box is a paid mystery prize in a game; you do not know what is inside until after you pay.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/money/17-loot-boxes-and-free-skins/5/)
- [Mystery packs usually give you less than you paid, because most people get common items.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/money/17-loot-boxes-and-free-skins/12/)
- [Many traditions treat a lie blurted out in panic differently from a planned deception; the vicar says Scripture leaves some mystery here.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/100-olympiad-practice-the-hardest-cases/16/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «mystery» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mystery/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.