occŭpo, āvi, ātum, 1 (occupassis for occupaveris, Plaut. Most. 5, 1, 48: 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. 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, id. 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.
IX —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.