Obfuscate

Obfuscate
Obfuscate Ob*fus"cate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Obfuscated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Obfuscating}.] 1. To darken; to obscure; to becloud. [1913 Webster]

2. Hence: To confuse; to bewilder; to make unclear. [1913 Webster]

His head, like a smokejack, the funnel unswept, and the ideas whirling round and round about in it, all obfuscated and darkened over with fuliginous matter. --Sterne. [1913 Webster]

Clouds of passion which might obfuscate the intellects of meaner females. --Sir. W. Scott. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Obfuscate — Ob*fus cate, a. [L. obfuscatus, p. p. of obfuscare to darken; ob (see {Ob }) + fuscare, fuscatum, to darken, from fuscus dark.] Obfuscated; darkened; obscured. [Obs.] [Written also {offuscate}.] Sir. T. Elyot. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • obfuscate — I verb addle, adumbrate, baffle, becloud, bedim, befuddle, begloom, bemist, bewilder, blacken, blind, blur, cloak, cloud, complicate, conceal, confound, confuse, cover, curtain, darken, daze, dim, disconcert, disturb, dull, eclipse, fluster, fog …   Law dictionary

  • obfuscate — (v.) 1530s, from L. obfuscatus, pp. of obfuscare to darken, from ob over (see OB (Cf. ob )) + fuscare to make dark, from fuscus dark (see DUSK (Cf. dusk)). Related: Obfuscated; obfuscating …   Etymology dictionary

  • obfuscate — *obscure, dim, bedim, darken, eclipse, cloud, becloud, fog, befog Analogous words: *confuse, muddle, befuddle, fuddle, addle: stupefy, bemuse, *daze: perplex, mystify, bewilder, *puzzle …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • obfuscate — [v] confuse baffle, becloud, befuddle, bewilder, cloud, complicate, conceal, confound, darken, fog, fuddle, muddle, obscure, perplex, puzzle, rattle; concept 16 …   New thesaurus

  • obfuscate — ► VERB ▪ make unclear or unintelligible. DERIVATIVES obfuscation noun obfuscatory adjective. ORIGIN Latin obfuscare darken …   English terms dictionary

  • obfuscate — [äb′fəs kāt΄, äb fus′kāt΄] vt. obfuscated, obfuscating [< L obfuscatus, pp. of obfuscare, to darken < ob (see OB ) + fuscare, to obscure < fuscus, dark < IE base * dhus > DUSK, DOZE1, DUST] 1. to cloud over; obscure; make dark or… …   English World dictionary

  • obfuscate — verb ( cated; cating) Etymology: Late Latin obfuscatus, past participle of obfuscare, from Latin ob in the way + fuscus dark brown more at ob , dusk Date: 1577 transitive verb 1. a. darken b. to make obscure …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • obfuscate — verb /ˈɒbfʌskeɪt,ˈɒbfəskeɪt,ˈɑːbfʌskeɪt,ˈɑːbfəskeɪt/ a) To make dark; overshadow Before leaving the scene, the murderer set a fire to obfuscate any evidence of his or her identity. b) To deliberately make more confusing in order to conceal the… …   Wiktionary

  • obfuscate — [[t]ɒ̱bfʌskeɪt[/t]] obfuscates, obfuscating, obfuscated VERB To obfuscate something means to deliberately make it seem confusing and difficult to understand. [FORMAL] [V n] They are obfuscating the issue, as only insurance companies can... There… …   English dictionary

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