ŏpĕrĭo, ŭi, ertum, 4 (archaic fut. operibo: ego operibo caput, Pompon. ap. Non. 507, 33; imperf. operibat, Prop. 4, 12, 35), v. a. [pario, whence the opp. aperio, to uncover; cf. paro], to cover, cover over any thing (class.; syn.: tego, velo, induo).
I Lit.
A Operire capita, Plaut. Poen. 3, 4, 34; cf.: capite operto esse, Cic. Sen. 10, 34: operiri umerum cum toto jugulo, Quint. 11, 3, 141; id. praef. § 24.—Esp., of clothing : aeger multā veste operiendus est, Cels. 3, 7 fin. ; so in Vulg. Isa. 58, 7; id. Ezech. 18, 7 et saep.: fons fluctu totus operiretur, nisi, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 53, § 118: summas amphoras auro et argento, Nep. Hann. 9, 3: mons nubibus, Ov. P. 4, 5, 5: (rhombos) quos operit glacies Maeotica, Juv. 4, 42.—Comically: aliquem loris, to cover over , i. e. to lash soundly , Ter. Ad. 182: reliquias malae pugnae, i. e. to bury , Tac. A. 15, 28: operiet eos formido, Vulg. Ezech. 7, 18; id. Jer. 3, 25.—
B Transf., to shut , close (syn.: claudo, praecludo, obsero): fores, Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 1: ostium, Ter. Heaut. 906: iste opertā lecticā latus est, Cic. Phil. 2, 41, 106: oculos, to shut , close (opp. patefacere), Plin. 11, 37, 55, § 150; cf.: opertos compressosve (oculos), Quint. 11, 2, 76.—
II Trop.
1 To hide , conceal , keep from observation , dissemble : quo pacto hoc operiam? Ter. Hec. 628 Bentl. (al. aperiam): non in oratione operiendā sunt quaedam, Quint. 2, 13, 12: quotiens dictu deformia operit, id. 8, 6, 59; cf. id. 5, 12, 18: luctum, Plin. Ep. 3, 16, 6: domestica mala tristitia, Tac. A. 3, 18.—
2 To overwhelm , burden , as with shame, etc. (only in part. perf. pass. ): contumeliis opertus, loaded , overwhelmed , Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 50, § 111; cf.: judicia operta dedecore et infamiā, id. Clu. 22, 61: infamiā, Tac. H. 3, 69.—
3 Of sin, to atone for , cover , cause to be forgotten (eccl. Lat.): qui converti fecerit peccatorem, operiet multitudinem peccatorum, Vulg. Jac. 5, 20; id. 1 Pet. 4, 8.— ŏpertus , a, um, P. a., hidden , concealed (class.): operta quae fuere, aperta sunt, Plaut. Capt. 3, 3, 9: res, Cic. Fin. 2, 2, 5: operta bella, Verg. G. 1, 465: cineres, Hor. C. 2, 8, 9: hamum, id. S. 1, 16, 50.—As subst.: ŏpertum , i, n., a secret place or thing , a secret; an ambiguous answer , dark oracle , etc.: Apollinis operta, the dark , ambiguous oracles , Cic. Div. 1, 50, 115: telluris operta subire, the depths , Verg. A. 6, 140: opertum Bonae Deae, the secret place or secret service , Cic. Par. 4, 2, 32: litterarum, a secret , Gell. 17, 9, 22.—Adv.: ŏpertē , covertly , figuratively (post-class.): operte et symbolice, Gell. 4, 11, 10.