Abstruse is an adjective describing something difficult to comprehend. It is derived from the Latin 'abstrudere' (to push away, conceal), related to the concept of 'pushing' or 'hiding'.
Abstruse es un adjetivo que describe algo difícil de comprender. Se deriva del latín 'abstrudere' (apartar, ocultar), relacionado con el concepto de 'empujar' o 'ocultar'.
| Front | abstruse \ub-STROOSS\ |
|---|---|
| Back | adjective Difficult to comprehend. [Look closely at the following Latin verbs, all of which are derived from the verb "trudere" ("to push"): "extrudere," "intrudere," "obtrudere," "protrudere." Each of these Latin verbs has an English descendant whose meaning involves pushing or thrusting. Another "trudere" offspring, "abstrudere", meaning "to push away" or "to conceal," gave English "abstrude," meaning "to thrust away." But that verb didn't make it past the 17th century. The "abstrudere" descendant that did survive is "abstruse," an adjective that recalls the meaning of its Latin parent "abstrusus," meaning "concealed."] "It was the kind of spectacle that policy wonks savor — three days of complex and abstruse arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court...." |
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