Obscure, a. [Compar. Obscurer; superl. Obscurest.]
Etymology: [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.
2 more senses
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.
3 other Webster entries under this spelling
Obscure, 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.
Obscure, 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.
Obscure, n.
Obscurity. [Obs.] Milton.
Shades of meaning
That is obscure which the eye or the mind can not clearly discern or see through, whether because of its own want of transparency, its depth or intricacy, or because of mere defect of light. That which is complicated is likely to be obscure, but that may be obscure which is not at all complicated and scarcely complex, as a muddy pool. In that which is abstruse (L. abs, from, and trudo, push) as if removed from the usual course of thought or out of the way of apprehension or discovery, the thought is remote, hidden; in that which is obscure there may be nothing to hide; it is hard to see to the bottom of the profound, because of its depth, but the most shallow turbidness is obscure. Compare complex; dark; difficult; mysterious.