ob·scure /ɑbˈskjʊr, əb-/
(a.)微暗的,難解的,含糊的,晦澀的,偏僻的,不著名的(vt.)使陰暗,隱藏,使含糊
Ob·scure a. [Compar. Obscurer superl. Obscurest.]
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.”
4. Not easily understood; not clear or legible; abstruse or incomprehensible; 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.] 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. i. To conceal one's self; to hide; to keep dark. [Obs.]
How! There's bad news.
I must obscure, and hear it. --Beau. & Fl.
Ob·scure, n. Obscurity. [Obs.]
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obscure
adj 1: 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 [syn: vague]
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" [syn: unknown, unsung]
5: not drawing attention; "an unnoticeable cigarette burn on
the carpet"; "an obscure flaw" [syn: unnoticeable]
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(p), isolated]
v 1: make less visible or unclear; "The stars are obscured by the
clouds" [syn: befog, becloud, obnubilate, haze
over, fog, cloud, mist]
2: make unclear, indistinct, or blurred; "Her remarks confused
the debate"; "Their words obnubilate their intentions"
[syn: confuse, blur, obnubilate]
3: make obscure or unclear; "The distinction was obscured"
[syn: bedim, overcloud]
4: make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or
concealing; "a hidden message"; "a veiled threat" [syn: blot
out, obliterate, veil, hide]
5: make difficult to perceive by sight; "The foliage of the
huge tree obscures the view of the lake" [syn: benight,
bedim]