Lewis & Short

obscūrus, a, um, adj. [Sanscr. sku, to cover, akin to Gr. σκευή, σκῦτος, κύτος; cf.: scutum, cutis], dark, darksome, dusky, shady, obscure (class.).

  1. I. 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.
    1. B. 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.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. 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.
      1. 2. 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.
    2. B. 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.
    3. C. 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.).
    1. A. Lit.: aut nihil superum aut obscure admodum cernimus, very darkly, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 474, 28.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. 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.
      2. 2. Of birth, obscurely, ignobly, meanly (perh. only post-class.): obscure natus, Macr. S. 7, 3: obscurissime natus, Amm. 29, 1, 5.
      3. 3. 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.