Lewis & Short

occaeco (obc-), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [obcaeco], to make blind, to blind, to deprive of sight.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. 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.
    2. B. Transf.
      1. 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. 2. To hide, conceal (so in Cic.): terra semen occaecatum cohibet, Cic. Sen. 15, 51: fossas, Col. 2, 2, 9; 10.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. Of speech, to make dark, obscure, unintelligible: obscura narratio totam occaecat orationem, Cic. de Or. 2, 80, 329.
    2. 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.
    3. C. To render senseless, deprive of feeling, to benumb (poet.): timor occaecaverat artus, Verg. Cul. 198.