obscure

OBSCU'RE, a. [L. obscurus.]

1. Dark; destitute of light.

Whoso curseth his father or mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. Prov. 20.

2. Living in darkness; as the obscure bird.

3. Not easily understood; not obviously intelligible; abstruse; as an obscure passage in a writing.

4. Not much known or observed; retired; remote from observation; as an obscure retreat.

5. Not noted; unknown; unnoticed; humble; mean; as an obscure person; a person of obscure birth.

6. Not easily legible; as an obscure inscription.

7. Not clear, full or distinct; imperfect; as an obscure view of remote objects.

OBSCU'RE, v.t. [L. obscuro.]

1. To darken; to make dark. The shadow of the earth obscures the moon, and the body of the moon obscures the sun, in an eclipse.

2. To cloud; to make partially dark. Thick clouds obscure the day.

3. To hide from the view; as, clouds obscure the sun.

4. To make less visible.

Why, 'tis an office of discovery, love, and I should be obscured.

5. To make less legible; as, time has obscured the writing.

6. To make less intelligible.

There is scarce any duty which has been so obscured by the writings of the learned as this.

7. To make less glorious, beautiful or illustrious.

- And see'st not sin obscures thy godlike frame?

8. To conceal; to make unknown.

9. To tarnish; as, to obscure brightness.

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1828 Webster's

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