Wiktionary

occult

English

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WOTD – 14 January 2010

Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin occultus (“hidden, secret”).

Pronunciation

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Verb

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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.
    • 2013 June 28, Abi Doukhan, Spectrum Magazine‎[1]:
      […] to do so would occult rather than illuminate the utterly unexpected and surprising character of his coming and of his reign.

Translations

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Adjective

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occult (comparative more occult, superlative most occult)

  2. (medicine) Secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected.
    occult blood loss; occult cancer
    • 1860, Isaac Taylor, “Mind in Form”, in Ultimate Civilization‎[2], page 178:
      This counter-influence is so much more conclusive […] because it is of an occult kind, and is so insensible in its advances as to escape observation.
    • 2004, Edward C. Feldman, Richard William Nelson, “Hypercalcemia and primary hyperparathyroidism”, in Canine and Feline Endocrinology and Reproduction‎[3], Elsevier, →ISBN, page 695:
      One of our dogs with PHPTH [primary hyperparathyroidism] had lucent lesions in the long bones, but this is extremely uncommon. Concurrent hyperproteinemia is supportive of myeloma. Solid tumors with metastasis to bone are more likely if lytic bone lesions and normoproteinemia (especially a normal serum globulin concentration) are present. A core biopsy of a lytic lesion may be necessary to establish a definitive diagnosis of neoplasia, especially in a dog with occult neoplasia.
  3. Related to the occult; pertaining to mysticism, magic, or astrology.
    Coordinate terms: eldritch, woo woo
    • 2017, Pao Chang, Word Magic: The Powers & Occult Definitions of Words, →OCLC:
      Be aware that occult knowledge can be used for good or evil purposes.
  4. Esoteric.
    • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter VIII, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
      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

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Translations

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Noun

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occult (uncountable)

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

Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱel- (2 c, 2 e)
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