opaque
- not transparent or translucent; impenetrable to light; not allowing light to pass through.
- not transmitting radiation, sound, heat, etc.
- not shining or bright; dark; dull.
- hard to understand; not clear or lucid; obscure: The problem remains opaque despite explanations.
- dull, stupid, or unintelligent.
- something that is opaque.
- Photography. a coloring matter, usually black or red, used to render part of a negative opaque.
- Photography. to cover up blemishes on (a negative), especially for making a printing plate.
- to cause to become opaque.
Origin of opaque
Synonyms for opaque
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comRelated Words for opaque
impenetrable, murky, cloudy, hazy, gloomy, frosty, thick, dull, dirty, blurred, unclear, uncertain, equivocal, unintelligible, arcane, incomprehensible, vague, dark, dim, duskyExamples from the Web for opaque
Contemporary Examples of opaque
Under Sepp Blatter, its interminable head, the body has been opaque and corrupt.
Jersey milk is thick and opaque, but Jersey cows produce much less of it—not enough to cover the coin.
As I organized my umbrella and shed my dripping coat, she sipped something golden and opaque from a tall pint glass.
Political rhetoric, of course, is traditionally the most opaque of all.
After shaking, he pours the opaque, green liquid through a strainer and into a chilled champagne coupe.
Historical Examples of opaque
Daylight was scarcely visible through the opaque window-panes.
My Double LifeSarah Bernhardt
Some days—and these were the most distressing of all—an opaque veil of smoke enveloped Paris.
My Double LifeSarah Bernhardt
Around us were opaque mountains of clouds with irradiated edges.
My Double LifeSarah Bernhardt
But where is the opaque breath of the storm, where are the clouds?
The Book of KhalidAmeen Rihani
The spores are broadly elliptic-fusiform, black, opaque, 107.
The Mushroom, Edible and OtherwiseM. E. Hard
opaque
- not transmitting light; not transparent or translucent
- not reflecting light; lacking lustre or shine; dull
- not transmitting radiant energy, such as electromagnetic or corpuscular radiation, or sound
- hard to understand; unintelligible
- unintelligent; dense
- photog an opaque pigment used to block out particular areas on a negative
- to make opaque
- photog to block out particular areas, such as blemishes, on (a negative), using an opaque
Word Origin for opaque
Word Origin and History for opaque
early 15c., opake, from Latin opacus "shaded, in the shade, shady, dark, darkened, obscure," of unknown origin. Spelling influenced after c.1650 by French opaque (c.1500), from the Latin. Figurative use from 1761. Related: Opaquely; opaqueness.
opaque
(ō-pāk′)- Impenetrable by light; neither transparent nor translucent.
opaque
- Resistant to the transmission of certain kinds of radiation, usually light. Metals and many minerals are opaque to light, while being transparent to radio waves and neutrinos. Compare translucent transparent.