Learn English – Safer alternative to “opaque”

ambiguitymeaningsynonyms

As a child I was taught that opaque means doesn't let any light through at all, as opposed to translucent (lets some light through, but diffused/frosted) or transparent (completely clear, lets you see clear images).

However, it seems a lot of people use opaque as synonymous with translucent. Indeed if you ask Google for its definition of opaque, and looks at its definition, usage example (“opaque with steam”), and synonyms, it seems to support the translucent-synonymous usage. I don't know what Google's data source is for their definitions, but it's clearly descriptive of real usage (as most dictionaries are), not prescriptive of how a word “ought” to be used.

I've certainly heard people (mis)use opaque as synonymous with translucent in everyday speech.

So now I'm looking for a single word to use in place of opaque to firmly communicate that the thing being described is completely impenetrable to light.

Best Answer

In writing we sometimes have to be redundant. In case you are misunderstood, I suggest you use "totally opaque" or "one-hundred percent opaque".

Related Solutions

Learn English – Respectful alternative to “Madam”

There's dame, ma'am, lady, or noblewoman. Unfortunately, most of these are reserved titles for royalty. The one I find the most commonly used is ma'am (which is short for madam), although this too is a term used in Britain to address the queen or a royal princess according to Dictionary.com.

Learn English – Visual connotation associated with “lucid”

The following examples from the public-domain New English Dictionary should give you a good idea of how lucid has been used in each of its senses:

Lucid (lⁱū·sid), a. [ad. L. lūcid-us, f. lūcēre to shine. Cf. F. lucide.]

1. Bright, shining, luminous, resplendent. Now poet. and techn. Ent. and Bot. = Smooth and shining. Astr. Of a star: Visible to the naked eye.

1591 S_^PENSER M. Hubberd 1259 With his azure wings he cleav’d The liquid clowdes, and lucid firmament.
1654 V_^ILVAIN Theol. Treat. ii. 45 The Air is not a lucid body like the Sun.
1667 M_^ILTON P. L. XI. 240 Over his lucid Armes A Militarie Vest of purple flowd.
1693 B_^ENTLEY Boyle Lect. vii. 5 There are great multitudes of lucid Starrs even beyond the reach of the best Telescopes.
1772–84 C_^OOK Voy. (1790) V. 1743 Supposed to be an animal which contributes to that lucid appearance often observed at sea in the night.
1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) III. 443/2 [Botany.] A Surface is .. Lucid, as if it were illuminated.
1800 H_^ULME in Phil. Trans. XC. 180 Another lucid dead glow-worm was put into warm water, at 114°.
1833 T_^ENNYSON Poems 60 Her lucid neck Shone ivorylike.
1845 W_^ESTWOOD Brit. Moths II. 221 Aphelosetia lucidella (the lucid).
1847 W. E. S_^TEELE Field Bot. Gloss. 16 Lucid, with a bright and shining surface.
1870–74 J. T_^HOMSON City Dreadf. Nt. 1. i, The lucid morning’s fragrant breath.
1893 S_^IR R. B_^ALL Story Sun 333 Beta Lyræ .. is among the coolest of the lucid stars.
fig. a 1652 J. S_^MITH Sel. Disc. iv. 112 The intellectual world, being .. made all lucid, intellectual, and shining with the sunbeams of eternal truth.
1742 B_^ARNARD Char. Lady E. Hastings 39 To bring them into the lucid Path of Vertue and Religion.

2. Translucid, pellucid, clear.

1620 V_^ENNER Via Recta Introd. 4 The lucide and cleare substance of it [sc. air].
1647 H. M_^ORE Poems 5 Thus they stood by that good lucid spring Of living bliss.
1725 P_^OPE Odyss. VI. 102 The lucid wave a spacious bason fills.
1791 C_^OWPER Odyss. III. I The sun, emerging from the lucid waves.
1832 L_^YTTON Eugene A. I. x, How singularly pure and lucid the atmosphere becomes.
1882 F. W. H. M_^YERS Renewal of Youth 314 Let many a heat distil Her lucid essence from the resurgent ill.

3. Lucid interval. Also in early use in med.L. form (pl.) lucida intervalla.

a. A period of temporary sanity occurring between attacks of lunacy. (So F. intervalle lucide.) † Formerly also, in wider use, an interval of apparent health between the attacks or periods of a disease.

[The Latin phrase ‘non est compos mentis, sed gaudet lucidis intervallis’ is common in English legal documents from the 13th to the 15 c.; so also in the med.L. commentators on Justinian’s Institutes. For the etymological notion presumably underlying the expression, cf. c.]
1603 S_^IR C. H_^EYDON Jud. Astrol. xxi. 425 Sometimes shee [the moon] graunteth to them [lunatics] Lucida interualla.
1625 B. J_^ONSON Staple of N. v. i, They are almost mad! But I forgiue their Lucida Interualla.
c 1645 H_^OWELL Lett. (1650) II. 42, I had a shrewd disease hung lately upon me. .. After som gentle slumbers, and unusuall dreames .. I had a lucid intervall. a 1655 V_^INES Lord’s Supper (1677) 213 A mad man may have lucid intervals.
1659 S_^TANLEY Hist. Philos. XIII. (1701) 624/2 As for that Pain which is lasting, it is not only gentle, but hath many lucid intervals.
1686 J. D_^UNTON Lett. fr. New-Eng. (1867) 23, I had between whiles those lucid intervals [in sea-sickness].
1769 B_^LACKSTONE Comm. IV. 25 If a lunatic hath lucid intervals of understanding, he shall answer for what he does in those intervals.
1839 I. R_^AY Med. Jurispr. Insanity xiv. 298 It was decided by the court, Sir Willian Wynne, that she had a lucid interval, while making the will.
a 1859 M_^ACAULAY Hist. Eng. XXV. V. 294 James lingered three days longer. He was occasionally sensible during a few minutes, and, during one of these lucid intervals [etc.].

b. transf. and fig. A period of rest or calm in the midst of tumult or confusion; an interval during which there is a reversion to a normal, reasonalbe, or desirable condition.

1581 W. A_^LLEN Apol. Eng. Seminaries iii. 22 Which [Arianisme] though it troubled the world some hundred yeres together, yet it .. had lucida interualla, gaue seasons of calme and rest to holy Bishops.
1622 B_^ACON Hen. VII Wks. 1861 VI. 32 Which [dissensions] although they had had .. lucid intervals and happy pauses; yet did they ever hang over the kingdom.
1650 F_^ULLER Pisgah IV. ii. 34 The devil heaped afflictions upon him, allowing him [Job] no lucid intervalls.
1682 D_^RYDEN MacFl. 22 Some beams of wit on other souls may fall, Strike through and make a lucid interval.
1751 S_^MOLLETT Per. Pic. xxii, Neither was his whole time devoted to the riotous extravagances of youth. He enjoyed many lucid intervals.
1822 R. G. W_^ALLACE 15 Yrs. in India 194 It is quite impossible to transact business with a chief, except in that lucid interval between .. one debauch and .. another.
1900 19th Cent. Sept. 386 Italy is just passing through one of these lucid intervals.

¶ c. In the etymological sense: An interval of sunshine in a storm.

1655 T_^UCKNEY Good Day well Impr. 8 Some short lucida intervalla, as the sun in a rainy day, looking out now and then a little.
1749 C_^APT. S_^TANDIGE in Naval Chron. III. 207 It being then day-light, and a lucid interval between showers of snow.

4. Marked by clearness of reasoning, expression, or arrangement; easily intelligible.

1786 C_^OURTENAY Lit. & Mor. Charac. Johnson 24 And lucid vigour mark’d the general style.
1803 Med. Jrnl. X. 182 Arranged in that lucid order which is so necessary to assist the student.
1838 D_^ICKENS Nich. Nick. xxiv, Mrs. Curdle sat listening to this lucid explanation.
1871 M_^ORLEY Voltaire (1886) 7 His expression was incomparably lucid.
1876 C. M. D_^AVIES Unorth. Lond. 103 The sermon was long but lucid.

5. Of persons: Clear in intellect; rational, sane.

1843 C_^ARLYLE Past & Pr. II. i, Any lucid simple-hearted soul like him.
1859 G. M_^EREDITH R. Feverel xxx, T_^WO apparently lucid people.
1887 Times 11 Aug. 5/2, I believe you are insane on that one point. On everything else you are lucid and bright.

6. With agent-noun: That performs the action implied in a lucid manner.

1879 M^cC_^ARTHY Own Times II. xxix. 372 There never was a more lucid and candid reasoner.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Learn English – Respectful alternative to “Madam”

Learn English – Visual connotation associated with “lucid”

Related Topic