fuscate
Fuscate is a transitive verb that means to darken, shade, or obscure. In general usage it describes making something less bright or more dusky, either by applying pigment, by covering or shading, or by other means that reduce lightness. In more specialized diction, fuscate can refer to staining or coloring tissue to produce a dark appearance, as in historical medical or scientific descriptions. The sense of obscuring information or rendering something unclear is uncommon; in modern English, obfuscate or obscure are preferred for that idea.
The word derives from Latin fuscus “dark, dusky” and the suffix -ate, with English adoption in the
Fuscation as a noun exists but is uncommon; the more typical noun for darkening or obscuring is
See also obfuscate, obscure, fuscous; related terms include darken and shade.