1. [adj]  not clearly understood or expressed; "an indeterminate turn of phrase"; "an impulse to go off and fight certain obscure battles of his own spirit"-Anatole Broyard; "their descriptions of human behavior become vague, dull, and unclear"- P.A.Sorokin; "vague...forms of speech...have so long passed for mysteries of science"- John Locke
2. [adj]  marked by difficulty of style or expression; "much that was dark is now quite clear to me"; "those who do not appreciate Kafka's work say his style is obscure"
3. [adj]  remote and separate physically or socially; "existed over the centuries as a world apart"; "preserved because they inhabited a place apart"- W.H.Hudson; "tiny isolated villages remote from centers of civilization"; "an obscure village"
4. [adj]  not drawing attention; "an unnoticeable cigarette burn on the carpet"; "an obscure flaw"
5. [adj]  not famous or acclaimed; "an obscure family"; "unsung heroes of the war"
6. [adj]  difficult to find; "hidden valleys"; "a hidden cave"; "an obscure retreat"
7. [v]  make unclear, indistinct, or blurred; "Her remarks confused the debate"
8. [v]  make obscure or unclear; "The distinction was obscured"
9. [v]  make difficult to perceive by sight; "The foliage of the huge tree obscures the view of the lake"
10. [v]  make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing
11. [v]  make less visible or unclear; "The stars are obscured by the clouds"

1. \Ob*scure"\, a. [Compar. {Obscurer}; superl.
   {Obscurest}.] [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.
   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.
   

2. \Ob*scure"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Obscured}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Obscuring}.] [L. obscurare, fr. obscurus: cf. OF.
   obscurer. See {Obscure}, a.]
   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.
   

3. \Ob*scure"\, 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.
   

4. \Ob*scure"\, n.
   Obscurity. [Obs.] --Milton.
   

"A Formal Description of the Specification Language OBSCURE", J. Loeckx, TR A85/15, U Saarlandes, Saarbrucken, 1985.

[Jargon File]