What does "occult" mean?
Occult: Hidden from the eye or the understanding; inviable; 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.
Additional senses
- 2.To eclipse; to hide from sight.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00