opacity

[ oh-pas-i-tee ]

/ oʊˈpæs ɪ ti /

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See synonyms for opacity on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural o·pac·i·ties.

the state or quality of being opaque.

something opaque.

the degree to which a substance is opaque; capacity for being opaque.

Photography. the proportion of the light that is absorbed by the emulsion on any given area of a film or plate.

obscurity of meaning.

mental dullness.

Medicine/Medical. an opaque spot or area in normally clear or transparent tissue, as a cataract of the eye.

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Origin of opacity

First recorded in 1550–60, opacity is from the Latin word opācitās shade. See opaque, -ity

OTHER WORDS FROM opacity

non·o·pac·i·ty, noun, plural non·o·pac·i·ties.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use opacity in a sentence

But in all these writers cataracta seems to be included under the general term pannus, meaning opacities of every kind.
Gilbertus Anglicus|Henry Ebenezer Handerson
This accounts for the films, opacities, and white spots seen upon the eye after the inflammation has subsided.
A Treatise on Anatomy, Physiology, and Hygiene (Revised Edition)|Calvin Cutter
These may be treated with nitrate of silver lotion of twice the strength used for opacities.
Special Report on Diseases of the Horse|United States Department of Agriculture
It is even now used in some parts of Europe to disperse opacities of the cornea.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II|Arnold Cooley

Who knows whether these opacities will not become transparent?
Les Misrables|Victor Hugo

British Dictionary definitions for opacity

opacity

/ (əʊˈpæsɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the state or quality of being opaque

the degree to which something is opaque

an opaque object or substance

obscurity of meaning; unintelligibility

physics photog the ratio of the intensity of light incident on a medium, such as a photographic film, to that transmitted through the medium

logic philosophy the property of being an opaque context

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

opacity

Origin of opacity

OTHER WORDS FROM opacity

Words related to opacity

How to use opacity in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for opacity