Rosicrucian
UK /ˌɹəʊ.zɪˈkɹuːʃən/ · US /ˌɹoʊ.zɪˈkɹuʃən/ noun, adjective
Forms Rosicrucians
- noun A 'Brother' of the 'Order of the Rose Cross'; a member of a Rosicrucian Order.
- noun A member of certain modern groups or organizations formed for the study of Rosicrucianism and allied subjects.
- adjective (of teachings) Mystic, occult or esoteric and related to the philosophy of Rosicrucianism.
Etymology
Originally employed in the three Manifestos of the Order, published as anonymous in the early 17th century: Fama Fraternitatis, 1614; Confessio Fraternitatis, 1615; and The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreuz, 1616. Ultimately, from Latin rosa (“rose”) + crux (“cross”) + -ian.
Webster’s 1913
- noun One who, in the 17th century and the early part of the 18th, claimed to belong to a secret society of philosophers deeply versed in the secrets of nature, --the alleged society having existed, it was stated, several hundred years.
- adjective Of or pertaining to the Rosicrucians, or their arts.
Etymology [The name is probably due to a German theologian, Johann Valentin Andreä, who in anonymous pamphlets called himself a knight of the Rose Cross (G. Rosenkreuz), using a seal with a St. Andrew's cross and four roses.)]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “Rosicrucian”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details