So faintly perceptible as to lack clear delineation; indistinct. See Synonyms at dark.
Indistinctly heard; faint.
Linguistics Having the reduced, neutral sound represented by schwa (ə).
Far from centers of human population: an obscure village.
Out of sight; hidden: an obscure retreat.
Far from centers of human population: an obscure village.
Out of sight; hidden: an obscure retreat.
Not readily noticed or seen; inconspicuous: an obscure flaw.
Of undistinguished or humble station or reputation: an obscure poet; an obscure family.
Not clearly understood or expressed; ambiguous or vague: "an impulse to go off and fight certain obscure battles of his own spirit"(Anatole Broyard). See Synonyms at ambiguous.
tr.v.
ob·scured, ob·scur·ing, ob·scures
To make dim or indistinct: Smog obscured our view. See Synonyms at block.
To conceal in obscurity; hide: "Unlike the origins of most nations, America's origins are not obscured in the mists of time"(National Review).
Linguistics To reduce (a vowel) to the neutral sound represented by schwa (ə).
n.
Something obscure or unknown.
[Middle English, from Old French obscur, from Latin obscūrus; see (s)keu- in Indo-European roots.]
c.1400, from O.Fr. obscur "dark, dim, not clear," from L. obscurus "covered over, dark, obscure, indistinct," from ob "over" + -scurus "covered," from PIE *(s)keu- "to cover, conceal;" source of O.N. sky, O.E. sceo "cloud," and L. scutum "shield" and Gk. skeue "dress" (see sky). The verb is first recorded 1432. Obscurity is attested from 1481 in sense of "absence of light;" 1619 with meaning "condition of being unknown." Obscurantism (1834) is from Ger. obscurantismus (18c.).
not clearly understood or expressed; "an obscure turn of phrase"; "an impulse to go off and fight certain obscure battles of his own spirit"-Anatole Broyard; "their descriptions of human behavior become vague, dull, and unclear"- P.A.Sorokin; "vague...forms of speech...have so long passed for mysteries of science"- John Locke
2.
marked by difficulty of style or expression; "much that was dark is now quite clear to me"; "those who do not appreciate Kafka's work say his style is obscure" [syn: dark]
3.
difficult to find; "hidden valleys"; "a hidden cave"; "an obscure retreat" [syn: hidden]
4.
not famous or acclaimed; "an obscure family"; "unsung heroes of the war"
5.
not drawing attention; "an unnoticeable cigarette burn on the carpet"; "an obscure flaw"
6.
remote and separate physically or socially; "existed over the centuries as a world apart"; "preserved because they inhabited a place apart"- W.H.Hudson; "tiny isolated villages remote from centers of civilization"; "an obscure village" [syn: apart]
verb
1.
make less visible or unclear; "The stars are obscured by the clouds"; "the big elm tree obscures our view of the valley"
2.
make unclear, indistinct, or blurred; "Her remarks confused the debate"; "Their words obnubilate their intentions" [syn: confuse]
3.
make obscure or unclear; "The distinction was obscured"
4.
reduce a vowel to a neutral one, such as a schwa
5.
make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing; "a hidden message"; "a veiled threat"
Ob`scu*ra"tion\, n. [L. obscurativ: cf.F. obscuration. See Obscure, v. t. ] The act or operation of obscuring; the state of being obscured; as, the obscuration of the moon in an eclipse. --Sir J. Herschel.
Ob*scure"\, a. [Compar. Obscurer; superl. Obscurest.] [L. obscurus, orig., covered; ob- (see Ob-) + a root probably meaning, to cover; cf. L. scutum shield, Skr. sku to cover: cf.F. obscur. Cf.Sky.]1. Covered over, shaded, or darkened; destitute of light; imperfectly illuminated; dusky; dim. His lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. --Prov. xx. 20. 2. Of or pertaining to darkness or night; inconspicuous to the sight; indistinctly seen; hidden; retired; remote from observation; unnoticed. The obscure bird Clamored the livelong night. --Shak. The obscure corners of the earth. --Sir J. Davies. 3. Not noticeable; humble; mean. "O base and obscure vulgar." --Shak. "An obscure person." --Atterbury. 4. Not easily understood; not clear or legible; abstruse or blind; as, an obscure passage or inscription. 5. Not clear, full, or distinct; clouded; imperfect; as, an obscure view of remote objects. Obscure rays (Opt.), those rays which are not luminous or visible, and which in the spectrum are beyond the limits of the visible portion. Syn: Dark; dim; darksome; dusky; shadowy; misty; abstruse; intricate; difficult; mysterious; retired; unnoticed; unknown; humble; mean; indistinct.
Ob*scure"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Obscured; p. pr. & vb. n. Obscuring.] [L. obscurare, fr. obscurus: cf. OF. obscurer. See Obscure, a.] To render obscure; to darken; to make dim; to keep in the dark; to hide; to make less visible, intelligible, legible, glorious, beautiful, or illustrious. They are all couched in a pit hard by Herne's oak, with obscured lights. --Shak. Why, 't is an office of discovery, love, And I should be obscured. --Shak. There is scarce any duty which has been so obscured by the writings of learned men as this. --Wake. And seest not sin obscures thy godlike frame? --Dryden.
Ob*scure"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Obscured; p. pr. & vb. n. Obscuring.] [L. obscurare, fr. obscurus: cf. OF. obscurer. See Obscure, a.] To render obscure; to darken; to make dim; to keep in the dark; to hide; to make less visible, intelligible, legible, glorious, beautiful, or illustrious. They are all couched in a pit hard by Herne's oak, with obscured lights. --Shak. Why, 't is an office of discovery, love, And I should be obscured. --Shak. There is scarce any duty which has been so obscured by the writings of learned men as this. --Wake. And seest not sin obscures thy godlike frame? --Dryden.
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