Hypertext Webster Gateway: "abstruse"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Abstruse \Ab*struse"\, a. [L. abstrusus, p. p. of abstrudere to
thrust away, conceal; ab, abs + trudere to thrust; cf. F.
abstrus. See {Threat}.]
1. Concealed or hidden out of the way. [Obs.]
The eternal eye whose sight discerns Abstrusest
thoughts. --Milton.
2. Remote from apprehension; difficult to be comprehended or
understood; recondite; as, abstruse learning.
Profound and abstruse topics. --Milman.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
abstruse
adj : difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary
understanding or knowledge; "the professor's lectures
were so abstruse that students tended to avoid them";
"a deep metaphysical theory"; "some recondite problem
in historiography" [syn: {deep}, {recondite}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.