occult

Magic, spirits, and mysterious powers or practices believed to go beyond the natural world.

• He is interested in the occult.
• The library has several books on the occult.
• Her research explores the occult in nineteenth-century fiction.

How to use it: the occult (She studies the occult and its influence on art.)

Common phrases: the occult, study the occult, interest in the occult

Present but too small to see, and found using a chemical test.

• The test found occult blood in the sample.
• Doctors checked the stool for occult blood.
• Occult blood cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Common phrases: occult blood, occult blood test

Present in the body but hidden or difficult to notice during an ordinary examination.

• The scan revealed an occult fracture.
• Doctors suspected an occult injury after the fall.
• Further tests identified an occult tumour.

Similar words: hidden, undetected

Common phrases: occult fracture, occult tumour, occult injury

Present in the body but hidden or difficult to notice during an ordinary examination.

• The scan revealed an occult fracture.
• Doctors suspected an occult injury after the fall.
• Further tests identified an occult tumour.

Similar words: hidden, undetected

Common phrases: occult fracture, occult tumour, occult injury

Present in the body but hidden or difficult to notice during an ordinary examination.

• The scan revealed an occult fracture.
• Doctors suspected an occult injury after the fall.
• Further tests identified an occult tumour.

Similar words: hidden, undetected

Common phrases: occult fracture, occult tumour, occult injury

To hide something from view by passing or standing in front of it.

• The planet will occult the star tonight.
• Astronomers watched the Moon occult a distant star.
• The smaller object was occulted by the larger one.

Similar words: obscure, hide, conceal

Opposites: reveal

Common phrases: occult a star, occult the moon