o·paque

[oh-peyk] adjective, noun, verb, o·paqued, o·paqu·ing.
adjective
1.
not transparent or translucent; impenetrable to light; not allowing light to pass through.
2.
not transmitting radiation, sound, heat, etc.
3.
not shining or bright; dark; dull.
4.
hard to understand; not clear or lucid; obscure: The problem remains opaque despite explanations.
5.
dull, stupid, or unintelligent.
noun
6.
something that is opaque.
7.
Photography. a coloring matter, usually black or red, used to render part of a negative opaque.
00:10
Opaque is a GRE word you need to know.
So is emollient. Does it mean:
an emollient medicine, lotion, salve, etc.
an article of furniture consisting of a flat, slablike top supported on one or more legs or other supports:
verb (used with object)
8.
Photography. to cover up blemishes on (a negative), especially for making a printing plate.
9.
to cause to become opaque.

Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English opake < Latin opācus shaded

o·paque·ly, adverb
o·paque·ness, noun
sub·o·paque, adjective
sub·o·paque·ly, adverb
sub·o·paque·ness, noun


1. murky, cloudy, muddy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To opaque
Collins
World English Dictionary
opaque (əʊˈpeɪk) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj
1.  not transmitting light; not transparent or translucent
2.  not reflecting light; lacking lustre or shine; dull
3.  not transmitting radiant energy, such as electromagnetic or corpuscular radiation, or sound
4.  hard to understand; unintelligible
5.  unintelligent; dense
 
n
6.  photog an opaque pigment used to block out particular areas on a negative
 
vb , opaques, opaquing, opaqued
7.  to make opaque
8.  photog to block out particular areas, such as blemishes, on (a negative), using an opaque
 
[C15: from Latin opācus shady]
 
o'paquely
 
adv
 
o'paqueness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

opaque
c.1420, opake, from L. opacus "shaded, shady, dark," of unknown origin. Spelling infl. after c.1650 by Fr. opaque (c.1500), from the L.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

opaque o·paque (ō-pāk')
adj.
Impenetrable by light; neither transparent nor translucent.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
opaque   (ō-pāk')  Pronunciation Key 
Resistant to the transmission of certain kinds of radiation, usually light. Metals and many minerals are opaque to light, while being transparent to radio waves and neutrinos. Compare translucent, transparent.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Some are, but for people not in the field they can be pretty opaque.
Natural light hits the cement floors through opaque skylights in an insulated
  tin roof.
Lost is so opaque that you need networked smarts to fully enjoy it.
But the defence budget is so opaque that the government's figures have to be
  treated with enormous scepticism.
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature