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secretion

[si-kree-shuh n]
See more synonyms for secretion on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. (in a cell or gland) the act or process of separating, elaborating, and releasing a substance that fulfills some function within the organism or undergoes excretion.
  2. the product of this act or process.
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Origin of secretion

1640–50; < Latin sēcrētiōn- (stem of sēcrētiō), equivalent to sēcrēt(us) (past participle of sēcernere to secern) + -iōn- -ion
Related formsse·cre·tion·ar·y [si-kree-shuh-ner-ee] /sɪˈkri ʃəˌnɛr i/, adjectivenon·se·cre·tion, nounnon·se·cre·tion·ar·y, adjectiveo·ver·se·cre·tion, nounsu·per·se·cre·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

saliva, mucus, bile, excretion, flow, seepage, movement, suppuration, gum, juice, sweat, sap, milk, tears

Examples from the Web for secretion

Historical Examples

  • Quietness promotes the secretion of fat in animals and increases the butter.

    Cattle and Their Diseases

    Robert Jennings

  • Reservoir: a case or cavity for the storage of any fluid or secretion.

  • A part, or organ, that has the power of making a secretion, peculiar to itself.

    A Handbook of Health

    Woods Hutchinson

  • Age lessens the secretion of milk, as has been already mentioned.

    The Physical Life of Woman:

    Dr. George H Napheys

  • The most natural question at this point is—What becomes of this secretion?

British Dictionary definitions for secretion

secretion

noun
  1. a substance that is released from a cell, esp a glandular cell, and is synthesized in the cell
  2. the process involved in producing and releasing such a substance from the cell
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Derived Formssecretionary, adjective

Word Origin

C17: from Medieval Latin sēcrētiō, from Latin: a separation; see secern
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

Word Origin and History for secretion

n.

1640s, "act of secreting;" 1732, "that which is secreted," from French sécrétion, from Latin secretionem (nominative secretio) "a dividing, separation," noun of action from past participle stem of secernere "to separate, set apart" (see secret (n.)).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
secretion in Medicine

secretion

(sĭ-krē′shən)
n.
  1. The process of secreting a substance from a cell or gland.
  2. A substance, such as saliva, mucus, tears, bile, or a hormone, that is secreted.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
secretion in Science

secretion

[sĭ-krē′shən]
  1. The process of secreting a substance from a cell or gland.
  2. A substance, such as saliva, mucus, tears, bile, or a hormone, that is secreted.
Show More
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.