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Webster 1913 Edition


Occult

Oc-cult′

,
Adj.
[L.
occultus
, p. p. of
occulere
to cover up, hide;
ob
(see
Ob-
) + a root prob. akin to E.
hell
: cf. F.
occulte
.]
Hidden from the eye or the understanding; invisible; secret; concealed; unknown.
It is of an
occult
kind, and is so insensible in its advances as to escape observation.
I. Taylor.
Occult line
(Geom.)
,
a line drawn as a part of the construction of a figure or problem, but not to appear in the finished plan.
Occult qualities
,
those qualities whose effects only were observed, but the nature and relations of whose productive agencies were undetermined; – so called by the schoolmen.
Occult sciences
,
those sciences of the Middle Ages which related to the supposed action or influence of occult qualities, or supernatural powers, as alchemy, magic, necromancy, and astrology.

Oc-cult′

,
Verb.
T.
To eclipse; to hide from sight.

Webster 1828 Edition


Occult

OCCULT'

,
Adj.
[L. occultus, occulo; ob and celo, to conceal.]
Hidden from the eye or understanding; invisible; secret; unknown; undiscovered; undetected; as the occult qualities of matter.
The occult sciences are magic, necromancy, &c.
Occult lines, in geometry, are such as are drawn with the compasses or a pencil, and are scarcely visible.

Definition 2024


occult

occult

English

Verb

occult (third-person singular simple present occults, present participle occulting, simple past and past participle occulted)

  1. (transitive, astronomy) To cover or hide from view.
    The earth occults the moon during a lunar eclipse.
  2. (transitive, rare) To dissimulate, conceal, or obfuscate.

Translations

Adjective

occult (comparative more occult, superlative most occult)

  1. (medicine) Secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected.
    occult blood loss; occult cancer
    • Isaac Taylor (1787–1865)
      It is of an occult kind, and is so insensible in its advances as to escape observation.
  2. Related to the occult; pertaining to mysticism, magic, or astrology.
  3. Esoteric.
    • 1907, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “chapter VIII”, in The Younger Set (Project Gutenberg; EBook #14852), New York, N.Y.: A. L. Burt Company, published 1 February 2005 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 4241346:
      Elbows almost touching they leaned at ease, idly reading the almost obliterated lines engraved there. "I never understood it," she observed, lightly scornful. "What occult meaning has a sun-dial for the spooney? I'm sure I don't want to read riddles in a strange gentleman's optics."

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

occult (uncountable)

  1. (usually with "the") Supernatural affairs.

Translations

Related terms