obscure

ob•scure

[[t]əbˈskyʊər[/t]] adj. -scur•er, -scur•est,

1) (of meaning) not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain

2) not clear to the understanding; hard to perceive:

obscure motives[/ex]

3) (of language, style, a speaker, etc.) not expressing the meaning clearly or plainly

4) cvb not readily seen, heard, etc.; indistinct; faint

5) inconspicuous or unnoticeable:

the obscure beginnings of a movement[/ex]

6) of little or no prominence or distinction; unknown:

an obscure artist[/ex]

7) far from public notice or activity; remote:

an obscure little town[/ex]

8) lacking in light or illumination; dark; dim; murky

9) enveloped in or concealed by darkness

10) phn (of a vowel) having the reduced or neutral sound usu. represented by the schwa (ə)

11) cvb to conceal or confuse (meaning, intention, or the like); cover; mask

12) to make dark, dim, indistinct, etc

13) phn to reduce or neutralize (a vowel) to the sound usu. represented by a schwa (ə)

14) obscurity

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Etymology: 1400–50; late ME < OF oscur, obscur < L obscūrus dark ob•scure′ly, adv. ob•scure′ness, n. syn: See mysterious