I.to make blind, to blind, to deprive of sight.
I. Lit.
A. In gen. (only postAug.; cf. “excaeco): quidam subito occaecati sunt,” are made blind, lose their sight, Cels. 6, 6, 57: “requirendum est, num oculi ejus occaecati sint,” id. 8, 4: “in occaecatum pulvere effuso hostem,” Liv. 22, 43, 11; Plin. 10, 3, 3, § 9.—
B. Transf.
1. To make dark; to darken, obscure: “solem vides, Satin' ut occaecatus est prae hujus corporis candoribus,” Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 66: “densa caligo occaecaverat diem,” Liv. 33, 7, 2.—Absol.: noctis et nimbūm occaecat nigror, Poët. ap. Cic. de Or. 3, 39, 157.—
2. To hide, conceal (so in Cic.): “terra semen occaecatum cohibet,” Cic. Sen. 15, 51: “fossas,” Col. 2, 2, 9; 10.—
II. Trop.
A. Of speech, to make dark, obscure, unintelligible: “obscura narratio totam occaecat orationem,” Cic. de Or. 2, 80, 329.—
B. Mentally, to make blind, to blind: “stultitiā occaecatus,” Cic. Fam. 15, 1, 4: “occaecatus cupiditate,” id. Fin. 1, 10, 33: “nec quid agerent, ira et pavore occaecatis animis, cernebant,” Liv. 38, 21, 7: “consilia,” id. 42, 43, 3: “occaecatus irā,” id. 8, 32, 17.—
C. To render senseless, deprive of feeling, to benumb (poet.): “timor occaecaverat artus,” Verg. Cul. 198.