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
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Neurons in the hindbrain, sitting at the base of the skull, secrete their own GLP-1, while receptors listening to them are found throughout the brain.—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2024 San Miguel is a perfect place for peaceful walks past magnificent private homes secreted behind humble neocolonial facades, for whiling away hours in quiet corners of the Bosque de Chapultepec, or for sipping hibiscus mead brewed right here in the city, a specialty at Masala y Maíz.—Michael Snyder, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023 When threatened, many such toads belonging to the Bufonidae family, including the Sonoran Desert Toad, secrete a potent cocktail of poisonous toxins.—Scott Travers, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 Taylor Swift—a woman who’s been known to enter and exit venues secreted in a janitor cart—is cruising into Highmark Stadium with all the swagger of Caesar entering Rome to watch Travis Kelce make heart hands, while Doja Cat remains at least 350% less tameable than Miley Cyrus circa 2010.—Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 24 Jan. 2024 But don’t let your curiosity get the best of you, these little creatures are covered in hairs that secrete an irritating venom.—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2023 Sweat glands on the loris’ elbows secrete a toxin that, when licked, can give the primate a poisonous bite, the National Zoo said.—Makiya Seminera, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Dark spots can indicate the presence of mold, and gray-blackish (or possibly light pink) slimy scum suggests biofilm, a substance secreted by microorganisms.—Staff Author, Health, 18 Jan. 2024 But if bacteria attack host cells indirectly (such as by secreting proteins that go on to harm host cells), then a larger dose of bacteria is necessary to infect the host, since the host-modifying secretions could be diluted by time and space.—WIRED, 19 Nov. 2023
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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