opacity

[ oh-pas-i-tee ]

/ oʊˈpæs ɪ ti /

SEE MORE 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.

RELATED WORDS

murkiness, obscurity, darkness

Nearby words

op. cit., opa, opa-locka, opacification, opacify, opacity, opacus, opah, opal, opal glass, opalesce

Origin of opacity

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

Related forms

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for opacity

Special attention should be given to the position of the opacity.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 611, September 17, 1887|Various
This sulphuring is simply the result of opacity, obtained by heating the glass to too high a temperature.
British Manufacturing Industries|L. Arnoux
The opacity is remarkably high, explaining why the star is so nearly "heat-tight."
Astronomy|David Todd
They were of every color from absolute pallor, the opacity of plaster, to utter blackness.
San Cristbal de la Habana|Joseph Hergesheimer

Nevertheless, the opacity of the Earth, like the transparency of the air, frequently deceives and bewilders us.
The Sea|Jules Michelet

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

Medicine definitions for opacity

opacity

[ ō-păs′ĭ-tē ]

n.

The quality or state of being opaque.

An opaque or nontransparent area, as of the cornea.