A.unseen, invisible, of a fish, “ποιεῖν ἑαυτὸν ἄ.” Arist.HA620b31; ἄ. χιτών, of the hyaloid membrane of the eye, [Gal.]14.712; unknown, obscure, Hes.Op.6; “τὸν ἄ. ἄνδρα . . ἰχνεύειν” S.OT475; ἐὰν δὲ . . ἄ. ὁ κτείνας ᾖ Pl Lg.874a; of troops, “ἄ. τοῖς πολεμίοις” X.Cyr.6.3.13; “εἰς τὸ ἄ. ἀποκρύπτειν” Id.Eq.Mag.5.7.
II. mostly of things, ἄ. θάνατοι death by an unknown hand, S.OT496; ἄ. ἔχθρα secret enmity, Th. 8.108; ῥεῖ πᾶν ἄδηλον melts all to nothing, S.Tr.698; inscrutable, E.Or.1318.
b. neut., ἄδηλόν [ἐστι] εἰ . . it is uncertain whether . ., Pl.Phdr.232e, al.; ἄ. μή . . Id.Phd.91d: abs., “ἄ. ὄν” Th.1.2; “ἐν ἀδήλῳ εἶναι” Antipho 5.6; “ἐν ἀδηλοτέρῳ εἶναι” X.HG7.5.8; “ἐξ ἀδήλου ἔρχεται [σελήνη]” S.Fr.871.5; also ἄ. agreeing with the subject (like δίκαιός εἰμι）, παῖδες ἄ. ὁποτέρων, = ἄδηλον ὁποτέρων παῖδές εἰσιν, Lys. 1.33; ἀδήλοις . . πῶς ἀποβήσεται, = ἃ ἄ. ἐστι πῶς ἀ., Arist.EN1112b9, cf. X.Mem.1.1.6.
2. not evident to sense, “ὄψις τῶν ἀ. τὰ φαινόμενα” Anaxag.21a, cf. Epicur.Ep.1p.6U.; opp. φανερόν, Phld.Sign.6, al.; opp. ἐναργές, ib.14, cf. Diog.Oen.8.
3. unintelligible, “φωνή” 1 Ep.Cor.14.8.
4. unproved, Stoic.2.89.
