opaque

Everyday

1. Opaque means light cannot pass through it, so you cannot see through it, like wood or a brick wall. tree →
2. Hard to understand; not clear (used about words or ideas). tree →

In the lessons

Used in science lessons about light: materials are transparent (clear, like glass), translucent (some light gets through, like tracing paper) or opaque (no light gets through, like cardboard). Opaque objects make shadows. In everyday life: opaque curtains, opaque tights.

Examples

• A brick is opaque. tree →
• Opaque objects block light and make shadows. tree →
• We tested which materials were transparent, translucent or opaque. tree →
• The bathroom window has opaque glass so nobody can see in. tree →
• Put the seeds in an opaque box to keep them in the dark. tree →
• Her answer was so opaque that nobody understood it. tree →
• Is aluminium foil opaque? tree →

Note

Pronounced "oh-PAKE". Opposite: transparent. Middle step: translucent. A trap: dark is not the same as opaque; dark sunglasses are still see-through.