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
These roots cling onto objects and wrap themselves around them by secreting a sticky substance, growing toward the direction of the light.—Aksha Mittapalli, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 July 2024 The olfactory journey spans five continents with scents both recognizable and obscure, like the musk secreted by the glands of the nocturnal civet.—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 July 2024 Cats also secrete compounds that contribute to smell.—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 5 June 2024 As a defense mechanism, ladybugs secrete a substance that can cause painful mouth and stomach ulcers, Watkins says.—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 30 May 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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