I. A drawing, spreading, or placing before (poet. and post-Aug.).
A. Lit.: “obtentu togae, tamquam se amiciens, ne videretur,” Gell. 11, 18, 14: “frondis,” Verg. A. 11, 66: “nubium,” Plin. 31, 1, 1, § 2.—
B. Trop., a pretence, pretext, color (cf.: “simulatio, species): obtentum habere,” Tac. A. 12, 7: “tempora reipublicae obtentui sumpta,” assumed as a pretext, id. ib. 1, 10: “sub obtentu liberationis,” Just. 5, 8, 12: “damnationis,” Lact. 2, 4, 36: sub obtentu monituum deorum quaedam enuntiare, Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 15, 3, 6.—
II. (Acc. to obtendo, II.) A covering, cover, veil (post-class.): “quia secundae res mire sunt vitiis optentui,” Sall. H. 1, 41, 24: “vera sunt, quae loquuntur poëtae, sed obtentu aliquo specieque velata,” disguise, allegorical dress, Lact. 1, 11: “non terror obtentui est,” a hinderance, Nazar. Pan. Constant. 5.
