obscure

views updated

ob·scure / əbˈskyoŏr/ • adj. (-scur·er, -scur·est) not discovered or known about; uncertain: his origins and parentage are obscure. ∎  not clearly expressed or easily understood: obscure references to Proust. ∎  not important or well known: an obscure religious sect. ∎  hard to make out or define; vague: fig. I feel an obscure resentment. ∎  (of a color) not sharply defined; dim or dingy.• v. [tr.] keep from being seen; conceal: gray clouds obscure the sun. ∎  make unclear and difficult to understand: the debate has become obscured by conflicting ideological perspectives. ∎  overshadow: none of this should obscure the skill, experience, and perseverance of the workers.DERIVATIVES: ob·scu·ra·tion / ˌäbskyəˈrāshən/ n.ob·scure·ly adv.ORIGIN: late Middle English: from Old French obscur, from Latin obscurus ‘dark,’ from an Indo-European root meaning ‘cover.’

More From encyclopedia.com