Opaque

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /əʊˈpeɪk/
• US IPA: /oʊˈpeɪk/
• Rhymes: -eɪk

Alternative forms

• opake

Origin

From Middle English opake, from Latin opacus ("shaded, shady, dark") (of unknown origin), later reinforced from Middle French opaque.

Full definition of opaque

Adjective

1. Neither reflecting nor emitting light.
2. Allowing little light to pass through, not translucent or transparent.
3. (figuratively) Unclear, unintelligible, hard to get or explain the meaning of
4. (figuratively) Obtuse, stupid.
5. (computing) Describes a type for which higher-level callers have no knowledge of data values or their representations; all operations are carried out by the type's defined abstract operators.

Antonyms

• (physically) see-through, translucent, transparent
• (figuratively) clear, obvious, bright, brilliant

Usage notes

The comparative opaquer and superlative opaquest, though formed following valid rules for English, are much less common than more opaque and most opaque and seem to occur more frequently in poetry.

Related terms

• opacity
• opaquely
• opaqueness

Noun

1. (obsolete, poetic) An area of darkness; a place or region with no light.
• 1745, Edward Young, Night-Thoughts, I:Through this opaque of Nature and of Soul,
  This double night, transmit one pitying ray,
  To lighten, and to cheer.
2. Something which is opaque rather than translucent.

Verb

1. (transitive) To make, render (more) opaque.

Synonyms

• blur
• cloud