Word of the Day

: May 25, 2009

obnubilate

verb ahb-NOO-buh-layt

What It Means

: becloud, obscure

obnubilate in Context

The essays include a significant amount of digression and extra commentary, all of which tends to obnubilate the author's main point.

Did You Know?

The meaning of "obnubilate" becomes clearer when you know that its ancestors are the Latin terms "ob-" (meaning "in the way") and "nubes" ("cloud"). It's a high-flown sounding word, which may be why it often turns up in texts by and about politicians. In fact, when the U.S. Constitution was up for ratification, 18th-century Pennsylvania statesman James Wilson used it to calm fears that the president would have too much power: "Our first executive magistrate is not obnubilated behind the mysterious obscurity of counsellors. . . . He is the dignified, but accountable magistrate of a free and great people."