Sentence:  In characterizing some of his tales as <WSD>'Arabesque</WSD>', Poe intended no specific reference to the Arab manner of telling stories. He only used the term to refer to intricately patterned tales (intricate as the design of an oriental carpet) in which the centre of interest lay in the cunningly crafted plot, ... 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Elaborate or ornate creations in general.