opaque

[oh-peyk] /oʊˈpeɪk/

adjective

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.

noun

something that is opaque.

Photography. a coloring matter, usually black or red, used to render part of a negative opaque.

verb (used with object), opaqued, opaquing.

Photography. to cover up blemishes on (a negative), especially for making a printing plate.

to cause to become opaque.

Origin

1375-1425; late Middle English opake < Latin opācus shaded

Related forms

opaquely, adverb

opaqueness, noun

subopaque, adjective

subopaquely, adverb

subopaqueness, noun

Synonyms

1. murky, cloudy, muddy.

Examples from the web for opaque

Some of the imagery in the exhibition is comprehensible to informed outsiders, while some is ambiguous or completely opaque.
Pretending to be a medical expert is possible precisely because medical knowledge is so specialized and opaque.
The fabric is opaque translucent so the taillights shine through, and small motors pull the fabric back to reveal the headlights.
Lost is so opaque that you need networked smarts to fully enjoy it.
In an ordinary microscopic section, viewed by transmitted light, they appear as fusiform opaque spots.
The universe is opaque because everything is so far away light doesn't arrive from other stuff.
Add the chicken and sauté for a couple of minutes until it turns opaque.
The war of occupation-dubious in origin, incompetent in execution, opaque but ominous in ultimate consequences-continues.
Line-X is opaque, so probably traditional bullet proof windows are needed.
No, this dust is actually composed of complex organic molecules, and they are opaque to visible light.

British Dictionary definitions for opaque

opaque

/əʊˈpeɪk/

adjective

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

noun

(photog) an opaque pigment used to block out particular areas on a negative

verb (transitive) opaques, opaquing, opaqued

to make opaque

(photog) to block out particular areas, such as blemishes, on (a negative), using an opaque

Derived Forms

opaquely, adverb
opaqueness, noun

Word Origin

C15: from Latin opācus shady

Word Origin and History for opaque

adj.

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 in Medicine

opaque o·paque (ō-pāk')
adj.
Impenetrable by light; neither transparent nor translucent.

opaque in Science

opaque

(ō-pāk')
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.