LAT
obscurus
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Lewis Short
(adjective) : obscūrus, a, um, Sanscr. sku, to cover, akin to Gr. σκευή, σκῦτος, κύτος; cf.: scutum, cutis
* Dark, darksome, dusky, shady, obscure (class.).
* Lit.: unde (Acherunte) animae excitantur obscurā umbrā, in dark, shadowy forms, Poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 16, 37; so, umbra,Verg. A. 6, 453: donec in obscurum coni conduxit acumen,the obscure point of the cone,Lucr. 4, 431: lucus,Verg. A. 9, 87: antrum,Ov. M. 4, 100: convalles,Verg. A. 6, 139: tabernae,Hor. A. P. 229; cf. Liv. 10, 1, 5: aliae res obnoxiosae nocte in obscurā latent, Enn. ap. Gell. 7, 16 (17), 10 (Trag. v. 341 Vahl.): nox,Verg. A. 2, 420; cf.: per occasum solis, jam obscurā luce,Liv. 24, 21: caelum,Hor. C. 1, 7, 15: nimbus,Verg. A. 12, 416: nubes,id. G. 4, 60: ferrugo,i. e. black,id. ib. 1, 467: dentes,Juv. 6, 145.—Poet.: funda, dark, i. e. invisible, Val. Fl. 6, 193; cf. mamma,i. e. hidden, covered,id. 3, 52, 6: aquae,i. e. turbid,Ov. F. 4, 758.—Subst.: obscūrum, i, n., dim light, twilight: in obscuro, advesperascente die,Vulg. Prov. 7, 9; but commonly the dark, darkness, obscurity: sub obscurum noctis,Verg. G. 1, 478: lumen,i. e. darkness visible,Sall. J. 21, 2.—obscū-rum, adverb.: obscurum nimbosus dissidet aër,Luc. 5, 631.
* Transf., to the person who is in the dark, darkling, unseen: ibant obscuri solā sub nocte per umbram,Verg. A. 6, 268: obscurus in ulvā Delitui,id. ib. 2, 135.
* Trop.
* In gen., dark, obscure, indistinct, unintelligible: Heraclitus ... Clarus ob obscuram linguam,Lucr. 1, 639: valde Heraclitus obscurus (cf. the Gr. appellation of Heraclitus, ὁ σκοτεινός), Cic. Div. 2, 64, 133: quid? poëta nemo, nemo physicus obscurus?id. ib.: obscurā de re tam lucida pango carmina,Lucr. 1, 933; 4, 8: brevis esse laboro, Obscurus fio,Hor. A. P. 25: reperta Graiorum,Lucr. 1, 136: obscurum et ignotum jus,Cic. de Or. 1, 39, 177: cur hoc tam est obscurum atque caecum?id. Agr. 2, 14, 35: nolo plebem Romanam obscurā spe et caecā expectatione haerere,uncertain,id. ib. 2, 25, 66.—Comp., Quint. 11, 3, 60.—Sup.: videre res obscurissimas,Cic. de Or. 2, 36, 153.—Subst.: causae in obscuro positae,Cels. 1 praef.
* In partic., rhet. t. t.: obscurum genus causae, obscure, i. e. intricate, involved, Gr. δυσπαρακολούθητον, Cic. Inv. 1, 15, 20: (causae privatae) sunt multo saepe obscuriores,id. de Or. 2, 24, 100.
* Not known, unknown, not recognized: forma,Ov. M. 3, 475: P Ilas,i. e. disguised, under another form,id. ib. 6, 36.—Esp. of rank and station, obscure, ignoble, mean, low: non est obscura tua in me benevolentia,Cic. Fam. 13, 70: Caesaris in barbaris erat nomen obscurius, * Caes. B. C. 1, 61: Pompeius humili atque obscuro loco natus,of an obscure, ignoble family,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 70, § 181: obscuris orti majoribus,from obscure ancestors,id. Off. 1, 32, 116: clarus an obscurus,Quint. 5, 10, 26; cf.: si nobilis obscurum se vocet,id. 11, 1, 21; 2, 3, 9: non obscurus professor et auctor,id. 2, 15, 36: natus haud obscuro loco,Sall. C. 23, 1.— Neutr. absol.: in obscuro vitam habere,Sall. C. 51, 12: vitam per obscurum transmittere,in obscurity,Sen. Ep. 19, 3: saepe mandatum initio litis in obscuro est,kept back,Gai. Inst. 4, 84.
* Of character, close, secret, reserved: obscurus et astutus homo,Cic. Off. 3, 13, 5 (for which: sin me astutum et occultum lubet fingere,id. Fam. 3, 10, 8): plerumque modestus Occupat obscuri speciem,Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 94: Tiberium obscurum adversus alios, sibi uni incautum intectumque efficeret,Tac. A. 4, 1: obscurum odium,Cic. Fam. 3, 10, 6.—Comp.: natura obscurior,Tac. Agr. 42.—Adv.: ob-scūrē, darkly, obscurely (class.).
* Lit.: aut nihil superum aut obscure admodum cernimus, very darkly, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 474, 28.
* Trop.
* Of speech, darkly, obscurely, indistinctly: dicta,Quint. 3, 4, 3; 4, 1, 79.—Comp.: quae causa dicta obscurius est,Quint. 8, 2, 24.—Sup.: obscurissime particulā uti, Cell. 17, 13, 5: non obscurissime dicere (opp. planissime),id. 11, 16, 9.
* Of birth, obscurely, ignobly, meanly (perh. only post-class.): obscure natus,Macr. S. 7, 3: obscurissime natus,Amm. 29, 1, 5.
* Covertly, closely, secretly: malum obscure serpens,Cic. Cat. 4, 3, 6: tacite obscureque perire,id. Quint. 15, 50: non obscure ferre aliquid,id. Clu. 19, 54; cf. id. Par. 6, 1, 45; Hirt. B. G. 8, 54.—Comp.: ceteri sunt obscurius iniqui,more secretly,Cic. Fam. 1, 5, b, 2.—Sup.: avertere aliquid de publico quam obscurissime,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 24, § 53.
* Dark, darksome, dusky, shady, obscure (class.).
* Lit.: unde (Acherunte) animae excitantur obscurā umbrā, in dark, shadowy forms, Poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 16, 37; so, umbra,Verg. A. 6, 453: donec in obscurum coni conduxit acumen,the obscure point of the cone,Lucr. 4, 431: lucus,Verg. A. 9, 87: antrum,Ov. M. 4, 100: convalles,Verg. A. 6, 139: tabernae,Hor. A. P. 229; cf. Liv. 10, 1, 5: aliae res obnoxiosae nocte in obscurā latent, Enn. ap. Gell. 7, 16 (17), 10 (Trag. v. 341 Vahl.): nox,Verg. A. 2, 420; cf.: per occasum solis, jam obscurā luce,Liv. 24, 21: caelum,Hor. C. 1, 7, 15: nimbus,Verg. A. 12, 416: nubes,id. G. 4, 60: ferrugo,i. e. black,id. ib. 1, 467: dentes,Juv. 6, 145.—Poet.: funda, dark, i. e. invisible, Val. Fl. 6, 193; cf. mamma,i. e. hidden, covered,id. 3, 52, 6: aquae,i. e. turbid,Ov. F. 4, 758.—Subst.: obscūrum, i, n., dim light, twilight: in obscuro, advesperascente die,Vulg. Prov. 7, 9; but commonly the dark, darkness, obscurity: sub obscurum noctis,Verg. G. 1, 478: lumen,i. e. darkness visible,Sall. J. 21, 2.—obscū-rum, adverb.: obscurum nimbosus dissidet aër,Luc. 5, 631.
* Transf., to the person who is in the dark, darkling, unseen: ibant obscuri solā sub nocte per umbram,Verg. A. 6, 268: obscurus in ulvā Delitui,id. ib. 2, 135.
* Trop.
* In gen., dark, obscure, indistinct, unintelligible: Heraclitus ... Clarus ob obscuram linguam,Lucr. 1, 639: valde Heraclitus obscurus (cf. the Gr. appellation of Heraclitus, ὁ σκοτεινός), Cic. Div. 2, 64, 133: quid? poëta nemo, nemo physicus obscurus?id. ib.: obscurā de re tam lucida pango carmina,Lucr. 1, 933; 4, 8: brevis esse laboro, Obscurus fio,Hor. A. P. 25: reperta Graiorum,Lucr. 1, 136: obscurum et ignotum jus,Cic. de Or. 1, 39, 177: cur hoc tam est obscurum atque caecum?id. Agr. 2, 14, 35: nolo plebem Romanam obscurā spe et caecā expectatione haerere,uncertain,id. ib. 2, 25, 66.—Comp., Quint. 11, 3, 60.—Sup.: videre res obscurissimas,Cic. de Or. 2, 36, 153.—Subst.: causae in obscuro positae,Cels. 1 praef.
* In partic., rhet. t. t.: obscurum genus causae, obscure, i. e. intricate, involved, Gr. δυσπαρακολούθητον, Cic. Inv. 1, 15, 20: (causae privatae) sunt multo saepe obscuriores,id. de Or. 2, 24, 100.
* Not known, unknown, not recognized: forma,Ov. M. 3, 475: P Ilas,i. e. disguised, under another form,id. ib. 6, 36.—Esp. of rank and station, obscure, ignoble, mean, low: non est obscura tua in me benevolentia,Cic. Fam. 13, 70: Caesaris in barbaris erat nomen obscurius, * Caes. B. C. 1, 61: Pompeius humili atque obscuro loco natus,of an obscure, ignoble family,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 70, § 181: obscuris orti majoribus,from obscure ancestors,id. Off. 1, 32, 116: clarus an obscurus,Quint. 5, 10, 26; cf.: si nobilis obscurum se vocet,id. 11, 1, 21; 2, 3, 9: non obscurus professor et auctor,id. 2, 15, 36: natus haud obscuro loco,Sall. C. 23, 1.— Neutr. absol.: in obscuro vitam habere,Sall. C. 51, 12: vitam per obscurum transmittere,in obscurity,Sen. Ep. 19, 3: saepe mandatum initio litis in obscuro est,kept back,Gai. Inst. 4, 84.
* Of character, close, secret, reserved: obscurus et astutus homo,Cic. Off. 3, 13, 5 (for which: sin me astutum et occultum lubet fingere,id. Fam. 3, 10, 8): plerumque modestus Occupat obscuri speciem,Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 94: Tiberium obscurum adversus alios, sibi uni incautum intectumque efficeret,Tac. A. 4, 1: obscurum odium,Cic. Fam. 3, 10, 6.—Comp.: natura obscurior,Tac. Agr. 42.—Adv.: ob-scūrē, darkly, obscurely (class.).
* Lit.: aut nihil superum aut obscure admodum cernimus, very darkly, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 474, 28.
* Trop.
* Of speech, darkly, obscurely, indistinctly: dicta,Quint. 3, 4, 3; 4, 1, 79.—Comp.: quae causa dicta obscurius est,Quint. 8, 2, 24.—Sup.: obscurissime particulā uti, Cell. 17, 13, 5: non obscurissime dicere (opp. planissime),id. 11, 16, 9.
* Of birth, obscurely, ignobly, meanly (perh. only post-class.): obscure natus,Macr. S. 7, 3: obscurissime natus,Amm. 29, 1, 5.
* Covertly, closely, secretly: malum obscure serpens,Cic. Cat. 4, 3, 6: tacite obscureque perire,id. Quint. 15, 50: non obscure ferre aliquid,id. Clu. 19, 54; cf. id. Par. 6, 1, 45; Hirt. B. G. 8, 54.—Comp.: ceteri sunt obscurius iniqui,more secretly,Cic. Fam. 1, 5, b, 2.—Sup.: avertere aliquid de publico quam obscurissime,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 24, § 53.
Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary
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