trans·lu·cent

[trans-loo-suhnt, tranz-]
adjective
1.
permitting light to pass through but diffusing it so that persons, objects, etc., on the opposite side are not clearly visible: Frosted window glass is translucent but not transparent.
2.
easily understandable; lucid: a translucent explication.
3.
clear; transparent: translucent seawater.
Origin:
1590–1600; < Latin trānslūcent- (stem of trānslūcēns), present participle of trānslūcere to shine through. See trans-, lucent

Related forms
trans·lu·cence, trans·lu·cen·cy, noun
trans·lu·cent·ly, adverb
sub·trans·lu·cence, noun
sub·trans·lu·cen·cy, noun
sub·trans·lu·cent, adjective

Can be confused: translucent, transparent (see synonym study at transparent).

Synonyms
1. See transparent.

Antonyms
1. opaque.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To translucent
00:10
Translucent is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
translucent (trænzˈluːsənt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—adj
allowing light to pass through partially or diffusely; semitransparent
 
[C16: from Latin translūcēre to shine through, from trans- + lūcēre to shine]
 
trans'lucence
 
—n
 
trans'lucency
 
—n
 
trans'lucently
 
—adv

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

translucent
1596, from L. translucentem (nom. translucens), prp. of translucere "to shine through," from trans- "through" + lucere "to shine" (see light (n.)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
translucent   (trāns-l'sənt)  Pronunciation Key 
Allowing radiation (most commonly light) to pass through, but causing diffusion. Frosted glass, for example, is translucent to visible light. Compare transparent.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
It has a pink, translucent abdomen and a swollen carapace.
In a small pan over medium heat, sauté shallots with oil until translucent.
Made of either translucent or opaque plastic, many have oversize openings with
  screw-on lids.
Struggles with monochrome, reflective, and translucent objects.
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