13. obscure to reduce or neutralize (a vowel) to the sound usu. represented by a schwa (&schwa;).
Etymology: (1400–50; late ME < OF oscur, obscur < L obscūrus dark)
Definition of 'obscure'
Princeton's WordNet
1. (adj)obscure, vague 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. (adj)dark, obscure 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"
3. (adj)hidden, obscure difficult to find "hidden valleys"; "a hidden cave"; "an obscure retreat"
4. (adj)obscure, unknown, unsung not famous or acclaimed "an obscure family"; "unsung heroes of the war"
5. (adj)obscure, unnoticeable not drawingattention "an unnoticeable cigarette burn on the carpet"; "an obscure flaw"
6. (verb)apart(p), isolated, obscure 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"
7. (verb)obscure, befog, becloud, obnubilate, haze over, fog, cloud, mist make less visible or unclear "The stars are obscured by the clouds"; "the big elm tree obscures our view of the valley"
8. (verb)confuse, blur, obscure, obnubilate make unclear, indistinct, or blurred "Her remarks confused the debate"; "Their words obnubilate their intentions"
9. (verb)obscure, bedim, overcloud make obscure or unclear "The distinction was obscured"
11. (verb)obscure, blot out, obliterate, veil, hide make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing "a hidden message"; "a veiled threat"
1. (adjective)obscure almost completely unknown an obscure 19th century poet
2. obscure very difficult to understand an obscure piece of writing
3. (verb)obscure to make difficult to see A pillar obscured his view of the stage.
Definition of 'obscure'
Webster Dictionary
1. (adj)obscure 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
6. obscure not easily understood; not clear or legible; abstruse or blind; as, an obscure passage or inscription
7. obscure not clear, full, or distinct; clouded; imperfect; as, an obscure view of remote objects
8. (verb)obscure to conceal one's self; to hide; to keep dark
Definitions of 'obscure'
The New Hacker's Dictionary
1. obscure Used in an exaggeration of its normal meaning, to imply total
incomprehensibility. “The reason for that last crash is
obscure.” “The
find(1)
command's syntax is obscure!” The phrasemoderately obscure implies that something could
be figured out but probably isn't worth the trouble. The construction
obscure in the extreme is the
preferred emphatic form.