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Resembling an oracle in some way, as in solemnity, wisdom, authority, obscurity, ambiguity, dogmatism. They have something venerable and oracular in that unadorned gravity and shortness in the expression. Pope. -- O*rac"u*lar*ly, adv. -- O*rac"u*lar*ness, n.

Improper; unusual; wrong. -- Out of the woods, not in a place, or state, of obscurity or doubt; free from difficulty or perils; safe. [Colloq.] -- Out to out, from one extreme limit to another, including the whole length, breadth, or thickness; -- applied to measurements. -- Out West, in or towards, the West; specifi…

wn. [R.] His apprehensions of being outlaughed will force him to continue in a restless obscurity. Franklin.

To throw a shadow, or shade, over; to darken; to obscure. There was a cloud that overshadowed them. Mark ix. 7.

of less importance, or throw into the background, by superior excellence; to dwarf; to obscure. Becon.

A paltry fellow; a rogue; a ninny; a fool. [Obs. or Colloq.] "Thou scurvy patch." Shak. Patch ice, ice in overlapping pieces in the sea. -- Soft patch, a patch for covering a crack in a metallic vessel, as a steam boiler, consisting of soft material, as putty, covered and held in place by a plate bolted or riveted fas…

ealogy; a register or record of a line of ancestors. Alterations of surnames . . . have obscured the truth of our pedigrees. Camden. His vanity labored to contrive us a pedigree. Milton. I am no herald to inquire of men's pedigrees. Sir P. Sidney. The Jews preserved the pedigrees of their tribes. Atterbury.…

erplex one with doubts. No artful wildness to perplex the scene. Pope. What was thought obscure, perplexed, and too hard for our weak parts, will lie open to the understanding in a fair view. Locke.

erstanding; capable of being clearly understood; clear in thought or in expression; not obscure or ambiguous; as, a perspicuous writer; perspicuous statements. "The purpose is perspicuous." Shak. -- Per*spic"u*ous*ly, adv. -- Per*spic"u*ous*ness, n.

Fig.: To darken; to blacken; to obscure. The welkin pitched with sullen could. Addison.

aged by parties (see Politics, 2); a schemer; an intriguer; as, a mere politician. Like a scurvy politician, seem To see the things thou dost not. Shak. The politician . . . ready to do anything that he apprehends for his advantage. South.

state of being profound; depth of place, knowledge, feeling, etc. "The vast profundity obscure." Milton.

A striking or paradoxical assertion; an obscure saying; an enigma; a parable. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. John xvi. 29.

Of or pertaining to proverbs; resembling a proverb. "A proverbial obscurity." Sir T. Browne.

A division of beetles having the fifth tarsal joint minute and obscure, so that there appear to be but four joints. -- Pseu`do*te*tram"er*al, a.

Nearsighted, or dim-sighted; seeing obscurely; as, a purblind eye; a purblind mole. The saints have not so sharp eyes to see down from heaven; they be purblindand sand-blind. Latimer. O purblind race of miserable men. Tennyson. -- Pur"blind`ly, adv. -- Pur"blind`ness, n.

A riddle or obscure question; an enigma; a ridiculous hoax.

To talk or write in a discursive, aimless way.

Roving; wandering; discursive; as, a rambling fellow, talk, or building.

or space taken in by anything excursive; compass or extent of excursion; reach; scope; discursive; as, the range of one's voice, or authority. Far as creation's ample range extends. Pope. The range and compass of Hammond's knowledge filled the whole circle of the arts. Bp. Fell. A man has not enough range of thought.…