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To cloud, obscure, or perplex; to render less clear or intelligible. Such was his wisdom that his confidence did seldom darkenhis foresight. Bacon. Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge Job. xxxviii. 2.

To translate from secret characters or ciphers into intelligible terms; as, to decipher a letter written in secret characters.

derivative; a deduction. From the Euphrates into an artificial derivation of that river. Gibbon.

e separation of light into its different colored rays, arising from their different refrangibilities. Dispersion of the optic axes (Crystallog.), the separation of the optic axes in biaxial crystals, due to the fact that the axial angle has different values for the different colors of the spectrum.

the ayes dividing from the noes. The emperors sat, voted, and divided with their equals. Gibbon.

the state of being so divided; separation. I was overlooked in the division of the spoil. Gibbon.

An animated or passionate exclamation. The feelings by the ecphonesis are very various. Gibbs.

ar probable that our dispute [about miracles] would either edify or enlighten the public. Gibbon.

or inscribed upon a surface) by rubbing out, striking out, etc.; to erase; to render illegible or indiscernible; as, to efface the letters on a monument, or the inscription on a coin.

To make clear or manifest; to render more intelligible; to illustrate; as, an example will elucidate the subject.

Corrigible; amendable. [R.] Bailey.

of about seven hundred yards was sufficient for the encampment of twenty thousand Romans. Gibbon. A green encampment yonder meets the eye. Guardian.

te in a large hand (en gross, i. e., in large); to write a fair copy of in distinct and legible characters; as, to engross a deed or like instrument on parchment. Some period long past, when clerks engrossed their stiff and formal chirography on more substantial materials. Hawthorne. Laws that may be engrossed on a fin…

roposition is expressed; an announcement; a formal declaration; a statement. Every intelligible enunciation must be either true or false. A. Clarke.

A figure by which the same word or clause is repeated after intervening matter. Gibbs.

Same as Anaphora. Gibbs.

Same as Anadiplosis. Gibbs.

he Greek colonies and churches of Asia, Philadelphia is still erect -- a column of ruins. Gibbon.

ed for, and understood by, the specially initiated alone; not communicated, or not intelligible, to the general body of followers; private; interior; acroamatic; -- said of the private and more recondite instructions and doctrines of philosophers. Opposed to exoteric. Enough if every age produce two or three critics of…

To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to expound; to unfold and illustrate the meaning of; as, to explain a chapter of the Bible. Commentators to explain the difficult passages to you. Gay. To explain away, to get rid of by explanation. "Those explain the meaning quite "away." Pope.…