If you guessed that the secret to the origins of secrete is the word secret, you are correct. Secrete developed in the mid-18th century as an alteration of a now obsolete verb secret. That verb had the meaning now carried by secrete and derived from the familiar noun secret ("something kept hidden or unexplained"). The noun, in turn, traces back to the Latin secretus, the past participle of the verb secernere, meaning "to separate" or "to distinguish." Incidentally, there is an earlier and distinct verb secrete with the more scientific meaning "to form and give off (a secretion)." That secrete is a back-formation from secretion, another word that can be traced back to secernere.
conceal usually does imply intent and often specifically implies a refusal to divulge.
concealed the weapon
screen implies an interposing of something that prevents discovery.
a house screened by trees
secrete suggests a depositing in a place unknown to others.
secreted the amulet inside his shirt
bury implies covering up so as to hide completely.
buried the treasure
Examples of secrete in a Sentence
Verb (2)
the police found the weapon secreted under the driver's seat of the getaway car
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
However, in people with diabetes, the pancreas does not secrete insulin, or the cells are not sensitive to its effects.—Melissa Nieves, Verywell Health, 24 Sep. 2024 The male white-nest swiftlet (also called the edible-nest swiftlet) creates the pale nest by secreting saliva from a pair of glands under his tongue.—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Sep. 2024 These invasive amphibians secrete toxins from their skin, killing pets and other predators that eat them.—Gennaro Tomma, Scientific American, 17 June 2024 In a new study, a global team of researchers hijacked the system Toxoplasma uses to secrete proteins into its host cell.—Bill Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 12 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for secrete
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'secrete.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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