Words / C2

p-uh-LOOS-id/pəˈluːsɪd/

Pellucid means transparently clear, of water, glass, prose, or argument (literary / formal): pellucid water, pellucid reasoning. Clear is everyday; lucid is the close twin for thought. Opaque (this batch) is the opposite. Do not call a sentence pellucid if the n is still a blank.

Meaning

Transparently clear, of water, glass, prose, or argument (literary / formal).

Examples

• “Pellucid prose does not invent a cell that is empty.”
• “Clear is everyday. Lucid is close for argument. Crystal-clear is the gloss. Opaque is not see-through (this batch). A mountain lake can be pellucid. Elegant syntax is not a sample size. If the cell is empty, the prose is decoration. Fill the n; then admire the style.”

Good to know

Crystal-clear. Everyday: clear. Close: lucid. Opposite: opaque (this batch). Style ≠ a filled cell.

Near in meaning

clear

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