I.“occupassit for occupaverit,” id. As. 4, 2, 9), v. a. obcapio; lit., to lay hold of; hence, to take possession of, seize, occupy any thing (esp. a place; class.; cf.: expugno, obsideo).
I. Lit.: “totam Italiam suis praesidiis obsidere atque occupare cogitat,” Cic. Agr. 2, 28, 75: “locum,” id. Fin. 3, 20, 67: “possessiones,” id. Phil. 13, 5, 12: “urbes,” Liv. 33, 31: “montem,” Tac. A. 4, 47: “portum,” Hor. C. 1, 14, 2: “aditum,” to go in, enter, Verg. A. 6, 424: “regnum,” Cic. Lael. 12, 40: “tyrannidem,” id. Off. 3, 23, 90: “familiam optimam occupavit,” has got hold of, has got into, Plaut. Trin. 5, 2, 11: “occupando adquirere aliquid,” Gai. Inst. 2, 66 sqq.; cf. id. ib. 2, 215: “vindemia occupabit sementem,” shall reach to, Vulg. Lev. 26, 5.—Poet.: “aliquem amplexu,” to clasp in one's arms, to embrace, Ov. F. 3, 509.—
B. Transf.
1. To occupy, i. e. to take up, fill with any thing: “atrā nube polum,” Hor. C. 3, 29, 44: “urbem (sc. aedificiis),” Liv. 5, 55: “caementis Tyrrhenum mare,” Hor. C. 3, 24, 3.—
2. To fall upon, attack one with any thing (syn. invado): “Latagum saxo ... Occupat os faciemque adversam,” Verg. A. 10, 699: “aliquem gladio,” id. ib. 9, 770: “aliquem morsu,” Ov. M. 3, 48: “canes ense,” Prop. 4, 4, 82 (5, 4, 84): “ne occupet te pluvia,” Vulg. 3 Reg. 18. 44: caligo, id. Job, 3, 5.—Poet., in a friendly sense, to surprise: “Volteium Philippus Vilia vendentem Occupat,” Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 64.—
3. To get the start of, to be beforehand with, to anticipate, to do a thing first, to outstrip: “occupat egressas quamlibet ante rates,” Ov. Tr. 1, 10, 6: “volo, tu prior ut occupes adire,” that you should present yourself the first, Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 15: “praeloqui,” id. Rud. 1, 4, 18: “bellum facere,” to begin the war first, Liv. 1, 14: “rapere oscula,” Hor. C. 2, 12, 28.—
II. Trop.
A. To seize, take possession of, fill, invade, engross: “tantus timor omnem exercitum occupavit,” Caes. B. G. 1, 39: “tremor occupat artus,” Ov. M. 3, 40: “sopor occupat artus,” Verg. G. 4, 190: “animos magnitudine rei,” Cic. Font. 5, 20: “pallor ora,” Verg. A. 4, 499.—
B. To take up, occupy, employ: haec causa primos menses occupabit, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 10, 3: “cum in mentem venit tres et sexaginta annos aeque multa volumina occupasse mihi,” Liv. 31, 1, 3: “in funambulo Animum,” Ter. Hec. prol. 1, 4: “contio, quae homines occupatos occupat,” Plaut. Men. 2, 1, 7: “tanta superstitio mentis Siculorum occupavit,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 51, § 113: pecuniam, to put out or lay out money: “pecuniam adulescentulo grandi fenore occupavisti,” have loaned it at a high rate, id. Fl. 21, 51: “pecunias apud populos,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 36, § 91: “pecuniam animalibus,” to lay out, invest in cattle, Col. 1, 8, 13: “pecuniam in pecore,” id. 11, 1: “argentum,” Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 13.—Pass.: “ante occupatur animus ab iracundiā,” Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 13, § 38; Liv. 22, 15, 6.—Hence, oc-cŭpātus , a, um, P. a., taken up, occupied, employed, busy, engaged (class.): “ut si occupati profuimus aliquid civibus nostris, prosimus etiam otiosi,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 3, 5: “in eo, ut,” Nep. Alc. 8, 1: “tempora,” Cic. Planc. 27, 66: “qui in patriā delendā occupati et sunt et fuerunt,” id. Off. 1, 17, 57: “hostibus opere occupatis,” Liv. 21, 45, 2: Nep. Hann. 7, 1.—Hence, married, occupatae (opp. to vacuae), Quint. Decl. 376.—Comp.: comitiorum dilationes occupatiorem me habebant, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 4, 3.—Sup.: “non dubito, quin occupatissimus fueris,” very much occupied, Cic. Att. 12, 38, 1; Plin. Ep. 9, 21, 2.
