From peri (beyond) and ergon (work). Going beyond proper bounds — hence meddlesome or, in Acts 19:19, practicing 'curious arts' (magic, sorcery).
In Ephesus, many who practiced 'magic arts' brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly (Acts 19:19). The value was fifty thousand drachmas — a staggering sum. This dramatic act of repentance shows that genuine conversion requires severing ties with the occult. New life in Christ demands the destruction of what enslaved us.