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secern

[ si-surn ]
/ sɪˈsɜrn /
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verb (used with object)
to discriminate or distinguish in thought.
verb (used without object)
to become secerned.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of secern

1620–30; <Latin sēcernere, equivalent to sē-se- + cernere to sift (cf. discern)

OTHER WORDS FROM secern

se·cern·ment, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use secern in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for secern

secern
/ (sɪˈsɜːn) /

verb (tr) rare
(of a gland or follicle) to secrete
to distinguish or discriminate

Derived forms of secern

secernment, noun

Word Origin for secern

C17: from Latin sēcernere to separate, from sē- apart + cernere to distinguish
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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