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Webster’s Dictionary (1828)



156 words match “OBSCURE”

HOMELY a.
right homely, and communed with, them long and oft. Foxe. Their homely joys, and destiny obscure. Gray.
HOOSIER STATE n.
Indiana; -- a nickname of obscure origin.
IGNOMINIOUS a.
Deserving ignominy; despicable. One single, obscure, ignominious projector. Swift.
ILLUMINATI n.
An obscure sect of French Familists.
IMBROWN v.
To make brown; to obscure; to darken; to tan; as, features imbrowned by exposure. The mountain mass by scorching skies imbrowned. Byron.
IMPERSPICUOUS a.
Not perspicuous; not clear; obscure; vague; ambeguous.
INCLOUD v.
To envelop as in clouds; to darken; to obscure. Milton.
INDEFINITE a.
ied; not explicit; not determined or fixed upon; not precise; uncertain; vague; confused; obscure; as, an indefinite time, plan, etc. It were to be wished that . . . men would leave off that indefinite way of vouching, "the chymists say this," or "the chymists affirm that." Boyle. The time of this last is left indefini…
INDISTINCT a.
Obscure to the mind or senses; not clear; not definite; confused; imperfect; faint; as, indistinct vision; an indistinct sound; an indistinct idea or recollection. When we come to parts too small four our senses, our ideas of these little bodies become obscure and indistinct. I. Watts. Their views, indeed, are indistin…
INELEGANT a.
ontrived as not to mix Tastes, not well joined, inelegant. Milton. It renders style often obscure, always embarrassed and inelegant. Blair.
INEVIDENT a.
Not evident; not clear or obvious; obscure.
INEXTRICABLE a.
ncapable of being extricated, untied, or disentangled; hopelessly intricate, confused, or obscure; as, an inextricable knot or difficulty; inextricable confusion. Lost in the wild, inextricable maze. Blackmore.
INFUSCATE v.
To darken; to make black; to obscure.
INGLORIOUS a.
ot glorious; not bringing honor or glory; not accompanied with fame, honor, or celebrity; obscure; humble; as, an inglorious life of ease. Shak. My next desire is, void of care and strife, To lead a soft, secure, inglorious life. Dryden. Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest. Gray.
INGLORIOUSLY adv.
In an inglorious manner; dishonorably; with shame; ignominiously; obscurely.
INNER a.
Not obvious or easily discovered; obscure. Inner house (Scot.), the first and second divisions of the court of Session at Edinburgh; also,the place of their sittings. -- Inner jib (Naut.), a fore-and-aft sail set on a stay running from the fore-topmast head to the jib boom. -- Inner plate (Arch.), the wall plate whic…
INNUENDO n.
ise unintelligible; an interpretative parenthesis thrown into quoted matter to explain an obscure word or words; -- as, the plaintiff avers that the defendant said that he (innuendo the plaintiff) was a thief. Wharton.
INSCRUTABLE a.
nquiry or study; impossible or difficult to be explained or accounted for satisfactorily; obscure; incomprehensible; as, an inscrutable design or event. 'T is not in man To yield a reason for the will of Heaven Which is inscrutable. Beau. & Fl. Waiving a question so inscrutable as this. De Quincey.
INTERPRETATION n.
The act of interpreting; explanation of what is obscure; translation; version; construction; as, the interpretation of a foreign language, of a dream, or of an enigma. Look how we can, or sad or merrily, Interpretation will misquote our looks. Shak.
INTIMATE v.
To suggest obscurely or indirectly; to refer to remotely; to give slight notice of; to hint; as, he intimated his intention of resigning his office. The names of simple ideas and substances, with the abstract ideas in the mind, intimate some real existence, from which was derived their original pattern. Locke.…
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