I.plup. sync. occulerat, Val. Fl. 2, 280), v. a. obcolo, to cover, cover over (syn.: tego, condo, celo, abdo).
I. In gen. (very rare): terra occulit caput, Enn. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 375 Müll. (Trag. v. 141 Vahl.): “virgulta multā terrā,” Verg. G. 2, 346.—
II. In partic., to cover up, hide, conceal (class.; esp. in the P. a.; v. in the foll.): “vitia corporis fuco,” Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 118: “vulnera,” Cic. Att. 5, 15, 2: “(feminae) parietum umbris occuluntur,” are kept concealed, id. Tusc. 2, 15, 36: “hastatos,” Liv. 33, 1: “se silvā,” id. 25, 8, 5: “classem in convexo nemorum sub rupe,” Verg. A. 1, 310: “caligine terras,” Ov. M. 1, 600: “puncta argumentorum,” Cic. de Or. 2, 41, 77: “narratum ab iis,” to keep secret, conceal, Tac. A. 3, 16: “vitia,” Quint. 12, 8, 10.— Absol.: “si quis et imprudens aspexerit, occulat ille,” Tib. 1, 2, 37.—*
B. Of burying: occultum efferre significat sub terram ferre, ponere, Paul. ex Fest. p. 205 Müll.—Hence, occultus (archaic orthogr. OQVOLTVS, S. C. Bacch.; “scanned ŏccultus,” Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 39; 86; id. Capt. 1, 1, 15; cf. Brix, Trin. Einleit. p. 14 Ritschl ad Plaut. Trin. l. l. ed. 2), a, um, P. a., hidden, concealed, secret (freq. and class.; “syn. abditus): hi saltem in occultis locis prostant, vos in foro ipso,” Plaut. Curc. 4, 2, 21: “res occultae et penitus abditae,” Cic. N. D. 1, 19, 49: “occultiores insidiae,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 15, § 39: “occultior atque tectior cupiditas,” id. Rosc. Am. 36, 104: “si quid erit occultius et reconditum,” id. Fam. 11, 21, 5: “cum res occultissimas aperueris in lucemque protuleris,” id. Ac. 2, 19, 62: “per occultos calles,” Verg. A. 9, 383: “via,” id. ib. 3, 695: “nota,” Ov. A. A. 3, 630: “sapor,” Verg. G. 3, 397: “crescit, occulto velut arbor aevo, Fama Marcelli,” from an obscure, remote age, Hor. C. 1, 12, 45: “res,” i. e. the hidden laws of nature, Lucr. 1, 145; 424; Cic. Ac. 1, 4, 15 sq.; 2, 41, 127; id. Fin. 3, 11, 37; 4, 7, 18 al.: “occulti miranda potentia fati,” Juv. 7, 200.—
b. Of persons, close, reserved, secret, not open: “si me astutum et occultum lubet fingere,” Cic. Fam. 3, 10, 8: “ab occultis cavendum hominibus consultisque,” Liv. 25, 16, 4; Tac. A. 6, 51.—With gen.: “occultus odii,” dissembling his hate, Tac. A. 4, 7.—
(β).
Occultus, adverbially for occulte, in secret, secretly (Tacitean): “qui ejusmodi preces occulti illuderent,” Tac. A. 3, 29; 4, 12: “patris mei amicitias non occulti ferunt,” id. ib. 4, 40.—
C. Neutr. as subst.
1. oc-culta , ōrum, plur., secret things or places, secrets: “servi, quibus occulta creduntur,” Cic. Cael. 23, 57: “cui fervens Aestuat occultis animus semperque tacendis,” Juv. 3, 50. —With gen.: “occulta saltuum scrutari,” Tac. A. 1, 61: “occulta conjurationis retexere,” id. ib. 15, 74: “occulta cordis,” Vulg. 1 Cor. 14, 25: “hominum,” id. Rom. 2, 16: “ab occultis meis,” from my secret sins, id. Psa. 18, 13.—
2. Sing.: occultum , i, n., secrecy, only in adverb. phrases, in occulto; per occultum; ex occulto, in secret, secretly: SACRA IN OQVOLTOD NE QVIQVAM FECISE VELET, S. C. Bacch.: in occulto mussabant, Enn. Ann. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 144 Müll. (Ann. v. 185 Vahl.): Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 86: “stare in occulto,” Cic. Clu. 28, 78: per occultum (post-Aug.), Tac. A. 6, 7; 4, 71 fin.; 5, 4; Claud. Cons. Mall. Theod. 124: “ex occulto,” from a place of concealment, secret place, Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 17: “Jugurtha ex occulto repente nostros invadit,” Sall. J. 59, 2.—Hence, secretly: “ex occulto intervenire,” Cic. Clu. 16, 47.—Hence, adv., in three forms: occultē (class. ), occultō (ante-class.), and occultim (post-class.), in concealment, in secret, secretly, privately.
(α).
Form occulte: “neque id occulte fert,” does not keep it secret, makes no secret of it, does not conceal it, Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 30: “ea nunc occulte cuniculis oppugnatur,” Cic. Agr. 1, 1, 1: “proficisci,” Caes. B. C. 1, 66: “inter se constituere aliquid,” id. B. G. 7, 83: “labitur occulte,” Ov. M. 10, 519: “nec clam illud occulteque factum est,” Plin. 36, 2, 2, § 6.—
(β).
Form occulto, Afran. ap. Charis. p. 186 P. (Com. Rel. v. 295 Rib.).— *
b. Comp.: “conari occultius,” Cic. Deiot. 6, 18: “erant praeterea complures paulo occultius consilii hujus participes,” Sall. C. 17, 5: Quint. 9, 4, 21.—Sup.: “quam potuit occultissime reliquas cohortes duxit,” Caes. B. C. 3, 67: “castra quam potest occultissime locat,” Liv. 9, 2; Sall. J. 91, 3; “for which maxime occulte,” Sall. J. 35, 4.
