occult Hear it!

occult Definition

oc·cult (ə kult, äkult′)

adjective

  1. hidden; concealed
  2. secret; esoteric
  3. beyond human understanding; mysterious
  4. designating or of certain arts, studies, or practices, as magic, alchemy, or astrology, involving mysterious powers that some people believe can affect the way things happen

Etymology: L occultus, concealed, pp. of occulere, to cover over < ob- (see ob-) + celare, to hide (see hall)

transitive verb, intransitive verb

  1. to hide or become hidden from view
  2. Astron. to hide by occultation

occult Related Forms

oc·cultly adverb

occult Idioms

the occult

the occult arts or studies

occult Synonyms

occult

modif.

  1. Hidden

    unrevealed, esoteric, obscure; see hidden 2, secret 1, 3.

  2. Concerning supernatural powers

    mystical, magical, supernatural; see mysterious 2, secret 1.

occult Synonyms

occult

n.

mysticism, the supernatural, hermetics; see mysticism, spiritualism 1.

occult Usage Examples

Object

  • star: On the evening of 25 January 2006 Saturn will occult this star.
  • light: The rather ornate " Adam and Eve " occulting light.
  • disk: A coronagraph produces an artificial eclipse of the Sun by placing an " occulting disk " over the image of the Sun.
  • mask: As the outer parts of bright objects often leave residual unmasked blobs, a circular central occulting mask is used.

Converse of object

  • study: He who studies the occult, studies all the deepest mysteries of existence and nature.
  • call: Review: This book will give you a lot of clear insights into what the authors call the occult.

Converse of subject

fascinate: He had always been fascinated by the occult, and had bought many books on the subject.

Modifies a noun

  • metastasis: LSG directs SNB and is essential in the identification of occult metastases within the clinically N0 neck for patients with HNSCC.
  • lore: Thousands of volumes of occult lore weighted its shelves.
  • hernia: It was concluded that ultrasound can accurately diagnose groin hernias and this may justify its use in the assessment of the occult hernia.
  • symbolism: Is this occult symbolism, designed to link Christ with Pagan astronomical symbols?
  • revival: The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was the most influential occult group to emerge from the end of the nineteenth century occult revival.
  • thriller: The rights to this occult thriller were owned by Joan Fontaine who insisted on the starring role for herself.

Modifying Another Word

overtly: Perhaps this is partly an " artistic " or surreal endeavor as well as an overtly occult action.

Noun used with modifier

  • blood: It has taken almost 20 years to conduct and interpret the necessary randomized trial of fecal blood occult blood testing.
  • something: The scholar's search to understand - to collate fragments, to uncover a pattern - there is something occult about this.

Possessives

novel: He even became the inspiration for some of Dennis Wheatley's later ' Occult ' novels.