occult
oc·cult / əˈkəlt/ • n. (the occult) supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena: a secret society to study alchemy and the occult.• adj. 1. of, involving, or relating to supernatural, mystical, or magical powers or phenomena: a follower of occult practices similar to voodoo. ∎ beyond the range of ordinary knowledge or experience; mysterious: a weird occult sensation of having experienced the identical situation before. ∎ communicated only to the initiated; esoteric: the typically occult language of the time.2. Med. (of a disease or process) not accompanied by readily discernible signs or symptoms. ∎ (of blood) abnormally present, e.g., in feces, but detectable only chemically or microscopically.• v. [tr.] cut off from view by interposing something: a wooden screen designed to occult the competitors. ∎ Astron. (of a celestial body) conceal (an apparently smaller body) from view by passing or being in front of it.DERIVATIVES: oc·cul·ta·tion / ˌäkəlˈtāshən/ n.oc·cult·ism / -ˌtizəm/ n.oc·cult·ist / -tist/ n.oc·cult·ly adv.oc·cult·ness n.
