occŭlo (obc-), cŭlŭi, cultum, 3 (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.
IV —Hence, occultus (archaic orthogr. OQVOLTVS, S. C. Bacch.; scanned ŏccultus, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 39; Plaut. 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, id. 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 ( Luc. ), 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 occulta , 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. 787: 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. 328: 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.).— *
γ Form occultim: reptare, Sol. 4.—
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.