All 5 Uses of
obscure
in
Dracula
- The time seemed interminable as we swept on our way, now in almost complete darkness, for the rolling clouds obscured the moon.
p. 20.8obscured = hid
- A vague over-mastering fear obscured all details.
p. 100.8obscured = made hard to comprehend
- For a moment or two I could see nothing, as the shadow of a cloud obscured St. Mary's Church and all around it.
p. 101.1 *obscured = made less visible
- I have written to my old friend and master, Professor Van Helsing, of Amsterdam, who knows as much about obscure diseases as any one in the world.
p. 122.4 *obscure = unusual (not known to many people)
- For there may be places where I must go, where that sunlight, though snow and mist obscure it, will be to me a safety.
p. 391.9obscure = make less visible
Definitions:
-
(1)
(obscure as in: it obscured my view) to block from view or make less visible or understandableAlthough this meaning of obscure typically refers to seeing or understanding, it can also refer to situation where something makes something else harder to detect or as when a noise makes another noise difficult to hear. Similarly it can reference something overshadowing something else, as in "Her memory of her dog's death was obscured by her brother's death the next day."
-
(2)
(obscure as in: the view or directions are obscure) not clearly seen, understood, or expressedAlthough this meaning of obscure typically refers to seeing or understanding, it can refer to difficulty with any type of detection as when something is hard to hear. It can also more specifically mean vague, or mysterious, or unknown by anyone. Much more rarely, it can mean secretive.
-
(3)
(obscure as in: the famous and the obscure) not known to many people; or unimportant or undistinguishedMore rarely, this meaning of obscure can be used for:
- seemingly unimportant -- as in "I want her on the team. She always seems to ask obscure questions that reveal problems in a different light."
- humble (typically only found in classic literature) -- as in "Nobody at the table would have guessed of her obscure family background."
-
(4)
(obscure as in: was obscure, but now bright) dark or dingy; or inconspicuous (not very noticeable)This meaning of obscure is more commonly seen in classic literature than in modern writing.