definitions

secrete

1
[ si-kreet ]
/ sɪˈkrit /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR secrete ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), se·cret·ed, se·cret·ing.

to discharge, generate, or release by the process of secretion.

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RELATED WORDS

stow, stash, perspire, excrete, plant, cache, secure, shroud, conceal, veil, screen, whitewash, cover, stonewall, withhold, disguise, paper, deposit, seclude, ensconce

Nearby words

secretary, secretary bird, secretary of defense, secretary of state, secretary-general, secrete, secretin, secretion, secretive, secretoinhibitory, secretomotor

Origin of secrete

1
First recorded in 1700–10; back formation from secretion

Definition for secrete (2 of 3)

secrete

2
[ si-kreet ]
/ sɪˈkrit /

verb (used with object), se·cret·ed, se·cret·ing.

to place out of sight; hide; conceal: squirrels secreting nuts in a hollow tree trunk.

Origin of secrete

2
1735–45; alteration of obsolete secret, v. use of secret

Definition for secrete (3 of 3)

secrète

[ suh-kret ]
/ səˈkrɛt /

noun Armor.

a steel skullcap of the 17th century, worn under a soft hat.

Origin of secrète

From French; see origin at secret
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for secrete

British Dictionary definitions for secrete (1 of 2)

secrete

1
/ (sɪˈkriːt) /

verb

(of a cell, organ, etc) to synthesize and release (a secretion)

Derived Forms

secretor, noun

Word Origin for secrete

C18: back formation from secretion

British Dictionary definitions for secrete (2 of 2)

secrete

2
/ (sɪˈkriːt) /

verb

(tr) to put in a hiding place

Word Origin for secrete

C18: variant of obsolete secret to hide away; see secret (n)
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

Medicine definitions for secrete

secrete

[ sĭ-krēt′ ]

v.

To generate and release a substance from a cell or a gland.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for secrete

secrete

[ sĭ-krēt′ ]

To produce and discharge a substance, especially from the cells of specialized glands. For example, the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas secrete the hormone insulin.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.