7  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Obscure  \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 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Obscure  \Ob*scure"\,  n. 
  Obscurity.  [Obs.]  --Milton. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Obscure  \Ob*scure"\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Obscured};  p.  pr  & 
  vb  n.  {Obscuring}.]  [L.  obscurare  fr  obscurus:  cf  OF 
  obscurer.  See  {Obscure},  a.] 
  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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Obscure  \Ob*scure"\,  a.  [Compar.  {Obscurer};  superl. 
  {Obscurest}.]  [L.  obscurus  orig.,  covered;  ob-  (see  {Ob-})  + 
  a  root  probably  meaning,  to  cover;  cf  L.  scutum  shield,  Skr. 
  sku  to  cover:  cf.F.  obscur.  Cf.{Sky}.] 
  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.''  --Atterbury. 
 
  4.  Not  easily  understood;  not  clear  or  legible;  abstruse  or 
  blind;  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. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  obscure 
  adj  1:  not  clearly  understood  or  expressed;  "an  indeterminate  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:  {indeterminate},  {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},  {haze  over},  {fog},  {cloud}, 
  {mist}] 
  2:  make  unclear,  indistinct,  or  blurred;  "Her  remarks  confused 
  the  debate"  [syn:  {confuse},  {blur}]  [ant:  {clarify}] 
  3:  make  obscure  or  unclear;  "The  distinction  was  obscured" 
  [syn:  {bedim},  {overcloud}]  [ant:  {clarify}] 
  4:  conceal  or  hide  by  covering  or  intervening  [syn:  {blot  out}, 
  {obliterate},  {hide}] 
  5:  make  difficult  to  perceive  by  sight;  "The  foliage  of  the 
  huge  tree  obscures  the  view  of  the  lake"  [syn:  {benight}, 
  {bedim}] 
 
  From  Jargon  File  (4.2.3,  23  NOV  2000)  [jargon]: 
 
  obscure  adj  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  phrase 
  `moderately  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 
 
 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  OBSCURE 
 
  "A  Formal  Description  of  the  Specification  Language  OBSCURE", 
  J.  Loeckx  TR  A85/15,  U  Saarlandes  Saarbrucken  1985. 
 
  [{Jargon  File}] 
 
 

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