LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbfirst conjugation

cēlō

cēlō (present infinitive cēlāre, perfect active cēlāvī, supine cēlātum)
Classical[ˈkeː.ɫoː]Ecclesiastical[ˈt͡ʃɛː.lo]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. to hide (something from someone), cover, keep a secret, conceal
    Homō versūtus cēlat scientiam: et cor īnsipientium prōvocābit stultitiam. A cautious man concealeth [conceals] knowledge: and the heart of fools publisheth folly. (Douay-Rheims trans., Challoner rev.: 1752 CE)c. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Proverbs.12.23

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

occultō; ita pōnō ut nōn videātur. Mūs sē in omnī tabulā huius librī cēlat!
cēlō -āre — in Mille Verba, ch. Lūdī et Ōtium

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Celare · Occulere · Occultare · Clam · Abdere · Condere · Abscondere · Recondere

1. Celare has an abstract or intellectual reference to its object, like κεύθειν, in opp. to fateri, and so forth; synonymously with reticere, Liv. xxiv. 5. Curt. vi. 9; whereas occulere, occultare, have a concrete and material reference to their object, like κρύπτειν, in opp. to aperire, synonymously with obtegere; Cic. Acad. iv. 19. N. D. ii. 20. Fin. i. 9, 30. Att. v. 15: the celanda remain secret, unless they happen to be discovered; but the occultanda would be exposed to sight, unless particular circumspection and precaution were used. 2. In the same manner clam and clanculum denote secretly, in opp. to palam, Cic. Rosc. Am. 8; whereas occulte, in opp. to aperte, Cic. Rull. i. 1. 3. Occulere denotes any concealment; occultare, a careful or very anxious concealment, and on this account finds no place in negative propositions, or as seldom, for example, as redolere. 4. Occultare means to prevent anything being seen, by keeping it covered; whereas abdere, condere, and abscondere, by removing the thing itself; abdere (ἀποθεῖναι) by laying it aside, and putting it away, like ἀποκρύπτειν; condere (καταθεῖναι), by depositing it in a proper place of safety, like κατακρύπτειν; recondere, by hiding it carefully and thoroughly; abscondere, by putting it away, and preserving it. (iv. 45.)

Conjugation conjugation 1

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.cēlōcēlābamcēlābōcēlāvīcēlāveram
cēlāram
cēlāverō
cēlārō
2nd sg.cēlāscēlābāscēlābiscēlāvistī
cēlāstī
cēlāverās
cēlārās
cēlāveris
cēlāris
3rd sg.cēlatcēlābatcēlābitcēlāvit
cēlāt
cēlāverat
cēlārat
cēlāverit
cēlārit
1st pl.cēlāmuscēlābāmuscēlābimuscēlāvimus
cēlāmus
cēlāverāmus
cēlārāmus
cēlāverimus
cēlārimus
2nd pl.cēlātiscēlābātiscēlābitiscēlāvistis
cēlāstis
cēlāverātis
cēlārātis
cēlāveritis
cēlāritis
3rd pl.cēlantcēlābantcēlābuntcēlāvērunt
cēlārunt, cēlāvēre
cēlāverant
cēlārant
cēlāverint
cēlārint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.cēlemcēlāremcēlāverim
cēlārim
cēlāvissem
cēlāssem
2nd sg.cēlēscēlārēscēlāverīs
cēlārīs
cēlāvissēs
cēlāssēs
3rd sg.cēletcēlāretcēlāverit
cēlārit
cēlāvisset
cēlāsset
1st pl.cēlēmuscēlārēmuscēlāverīmus
cēlārīmus
cēlāvissēmus
cēlāssēmus
2nd pl.cēlētiscēlārētiscēlāverītis
cēlārītis
cēlāvissētis
cēlāssētis
3rd pl.cēlentcēlārentcēlāverint
cēlārint
cēlāvissent
cēlāssent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.cēlorcēlābarcēlābor
2nd sg.cēlāris
cēlāre
cēlābāris
cēlābāre
cēlāberis
cēlābere
3rd sg.cēlāturcēlābāturcēlābitur
1st pl.cēlāmurcēlābāmurcēlābimur
2nd pl.cēlāminīcēlābāminīcēlābiminī
3rd pl.cēlanturcēlābanturcēlābuntur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.cēlercēlārer
2nd sg.cēlēris
cēlēre
cēlārēris
cēlārēre
3rd sg.cēlēturcēlārētur
1st pl.cēlēmurcēlārēmur
2nd pl.cēlēminīcēlārēminī
3rd pl.cēlenturcēlārentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.cēlācēlāre
pres. 2nd pl.cēlātecēlāminī
fut. 2nd sg.cēlātōcēlātor
fut. 3rd sg.cēlātōcēlātor
fut. 2nd pl.cēlātōte—
fut. 3rd pl.cēlantōcēlantor
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitivecēlārecēlārī
cēlārier
perfect infinitivecēlāvisse
cēlāsse
cēlātum esse
future infinitivecēlātūrum essecēlātum īrī
present participlecēlāns—
perfect participle—cēlātus
cēlāta, cēlātā, cēlātae, cēlātam, cēlātārum, cēlātās, cēlātī, cēlātōrum, cēlātōs
future participlecēlātūrus
cēlātūra, cēlātūrā, cēlātūrae, cēlātūram, cēlātūrārum, cēlātūrās, cēlātūre, cēlātūrī, cēlātūrīs, cēlātūrō, cēlātūrōrum, cēlātūrōs, cēlātūrum
cēlandus
cēlanda, cēlandā, cēlandae, cēlandam, cēlandārum, cēlandās, cēlande, cēlandīs, cēlandōrum, cēlandōs
gerundcēlandī, cēlandō, cēlandumsupinecēlātum, cēlātū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

sententiam fronte celare, tegere
not to betray one's feelings by one's looks.

cēlo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. (contract. form of the
I. gen. plur. part. pass. celatum = celatorum, Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 15 Ritschl N. cr.) [cf. caligo], to hide something from one, to keep secret, to conceal; constr.,
I. With a double acc., as in Gr κρύπτω τινά τι; cf. Zumpt, Gram. § 391 (class. in prose and poetry): neque enim id est celare, quicquid reticeas; sed cum, quod tu scias, id ignorare emolumenti tui causā velis eos, quorum intersit id scire, etc., Cic. Off. 3, 13, 57: te atque alios partum ut celaret suum, Ter. Hec. 3, 3, 24: ea ne me celet, consuefeci filium, id. Ad. 1, 1, 29; id. Hec. 3, 1, 40: non te celavi sermonem T. Ampii, Cic. Fam. 2, 16, 3: iter omnis celat, Nep. Eum. 8, 7: ut tegat hoc celetque viros, Ov. F. 4, 149.—Rare, aliquem de aliquā re: de armis, de ferro, de insidiis celare te noluit? Cic. Deiot. 6, 18; id. Fam. 7, 20, 3 (more freq. in pass.: v. the foll.).—Pass.: celor rem, but more freq. celor hoc, illud, etc., something is concealed from me: nosne hoc celatos tam diu, Ter. Hec. 4, 4, 23: sed tamen indicabo tibi quod mehercule inprimis celatum volebam, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 5, 4.—More freq. celor de re: non est profecto de illo veneno celata mater, Cic. Clu. 66, 189: credo celatum esse Cassium de Sullā uno, id. Sull. 13, 39: debes existimare te maximis de rebus a fratre esse celatum, id. Fam. 5, 2, 9: quod neque celari Alexandrini possent in apparanda fugā, Auct. B. Alex. 7.— More rare, mihi res celatur: id Alcibiadi diutius celari non potuit, Nep. Alcib. 5, 2 (al. Alcibiades).—
II. With one acc.
A. With acc. of the direct object: aliquid, to conceal, hide, cover; and of persons: aliquem, to hide, conceal one.
1. Aliquid (so most freq.): celem tam insperatum gaudium? Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 5: iras, id. Hec. 2, 2, 11: sententiam, Cic. Ac. 2, 18, 60: crudelia consilia dulci formā, * Cat. 64, 175: perjuria, Tib. 1, 9, 3: factum, Verg. A. 1, 351: aurum, Hor. C. 3, 3, 42: fontium origines, id. ib. 4, 14, 45: sol diem qui Promis et celas, id. C. S. 10: manibus uterum, to conceal by covering, Ov. M. 2, 463: vultus manibus, id. ib. 4, 683.—With dat. (locat.) of place: sacra alia terrae celavimus, Liv. 5. 5, 1, § 9 Weissenb. ad loc. (al. terrā).— Pass.: quod celatum est atque occultatum usque adhuc, Plaut. Aul. 2, 3, 10; cf. id. Trin. 1, 2, 127: quod turpiter factum celari poterat, Caes. B. G. 7, 80, 5: armorum tertia pars celata, id. ib. 2, 32 fin.: amor celatus, Ter. And. 1, 1, 105: ut celetur consuetio, Plaut. Am. 1, 2, 28; so Lucr. 1, 904; 5, 1159; Tib. 1, 2, 34; Prop. 3 (4), 25, 11; Hor. C. 4, 9, 30; Ov. M. 9, 516 et saep.—
2. Aliquem, to hide, conceal one: plerosque hi qui receperant, celant, Caes. B. C. 1, 76: aliquem silvis, Verg. A. 10, 417; cf. id. ib. 6, 443: fugitivum, Dig. 11, 4, 1: se tenebris, Verg. A. 9, 425: a domino, Dig. 21, 1, 17 pr.—Pass.: diu celari (virgo) non potest, Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 4; id. Heaut. 4, 3, 20: celabitur auctor, Hor. S. 2, 4, 11: capillamento celatus, Suet. Calig. 11; cf. id. Dom. 1.—
B. With acc. of the remote object: celare aliquem (diff. from the preced.), to conceal, hide from one: Jovis hospitalis numen numquam celare potuisset, homines fortasse celavisset, Cic. Deiot. 6, 18; so id. Off. 3, 13, 57; Ov. H. 18, 13 al.—Pass.: celabar, excludebar, Cic. Agr. 2, 5, 12; id. Fam. 5, 19, 2; id. Q. Fr. 2, 15 (16), 5: non ego celari possum, quid, etc., Tib. 1, 8, 1.—
C. Absol.: non est celandum, Nep. Att. 12, 2: celatum indagator, Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 15.—P. a. as subst.: cēlāta, ōrum, n., secrets: et celata omnia Paene pessum dedit, Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 127.

Origins

Probably denominal, perhaps from a root noun *kēls (“hiding-place”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel-. The older and more straightforward formation *kelō is found in occulō. Related to clam. Cognate with Old Irish ceilid (“to hide”) and Proto-Germanic *helaną, *huljaną.

Descendants
  • Catalancelar
  • Catalanrecelar
  • Frenchceler
  • Italiancelare
  • Portugueserecearfrom Old Galician-Portuguese recear
  • Spanishcelar
  • Spanishrecelar
  • Albaniankëshill
  • Albanianmshel
  • Albanianmshil

Quick answers

What does cēlō mean in Latin?
cēlō, a verb, means “to hide (something from someone), cover, keep a secret, conceal”.
What are the principal parts of cēlō?
cēlō, cēlāre, cēlāvī, cēlātum (first conjugation).
How do you pronounce cēlō?
In classical Latin, [ˈkeː.ɫoː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈt͡ʃɛː.lo].