occultation
UK[ˌɒk.əlˈteɪ.ʃən]US[ˌɑː.kəlˈteɪ.ʃən]
n
the action of hiding or concealing something, especially a celestial body by another passing in front of it.
n
the resulting state of being hidden from view.
Morpheme Breakdown
occult
ation
occult
hidden
ation
noun suffix
Etymology
the word 'occultation' originates from the latin verb occulere, meaning 'to cover over' or 'to hide'. this verb itself is composed of the prefix ob- (meaning 'over, against') and the verb celare (meaning 'to hide'), which traces back to the proto-indo-european root ḱel-, meaning 'to cover, conceal'. the latin past participle occultus gave rise to the english adjective 'occult', signifying hidden knowledge. the noun 'occultation' was formed by adding the suffix -ation, which denotes an action or process. in its primary modern astronomical sense, it perfectly captures the process of one celestial body 'covering over' another, directly extending the ancient literal meaning of concealment to a specific scientific phenomenon.
Analysis
Structure: occult (hidden) + ation (noun suffix)
occult (from latin occultus, meaning 'hidden, concealed, secret', from the verb occulere 'to cover over, hide'); ation (a latin-derived suffix forming nouns of action or state from verbs).
Examples
the occultation of the star by the moon was precisely timed by the observatory.
the sudden occultation of the sun during the eclipse plunged the landscape into twilight.
in medieval astrology, the occultation of a planet was considered a significant omen.