Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Merriam-Webster Word of the Day: Obnubilate

obnubilate

\ahb-NOO-buh-layt\


verb

Meaning

: becloud, obscure

Example Sentence

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

Background:

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."

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