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Abstruse

 - 3 dictionary results

ab⋅struse

  [ab-stroos]
Use Abstruse in a Sentence
–adjective
1. hard to understand; recondite; esoteric: abstruse theories.
2. Obsolete. secret; hidden.
Origin:
1590–1600; < L abstrūsus thrust away, concealed (ptp. of abstrūdere), equiv. to abs- abs- + trūd- thrust + -tus ptp. suffix

Related forms:
ab⋅struse⋅ly, adverb
ab⋅struse⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. incomprehensible, unfathomable, arcane.

Antonyms:
1. clear, uncomplicated, simple; obvious.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Abstruse
ab·struse   (āb-strōōs', əb-)   
adj.  Difficult to understand; recondite. See Synonyms at ambiguous.

[Latin abstrūsus, past participle of abstrūdere, to hide : abs-, ab-, away; see ab-1 + trūdere, to push; see treud- in Indo-European roots.]
ab·struse'ly adv., ab·struse'ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

abstruse 
1599, from L. abstrusus, pp. of abstrudere "conceal," lit. "to thrust away," from ab- "away" + trudere "to thrust, push" (see extrusion).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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