Opacity
/oʊˈpæs.ɪ.ti/noun
The quality of being difficult to see through or understand.
Did you know?In alchemical traditions, opacity was often linked to the idea of veiling hidden knowledge, where the clarity of understanding was obscured by layers of interpretation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*opa-
“to cover or conceal”
Latin
Latin
opacitas
“darkness, shade, or obscurity”
Old French
Old French
opacité
“the quality of being opaque or obscure”
14th Century
Middle English
opacite
“the state of being not transparent or clear”
Modern English
English
opacity
“the quality of being opaque, or not allowing light to pass through”