Dictionary.com

secretion

[ si-kree-shuhn ]
/ sɪˈkri ʃən /
See synonyms for secretion on Thesaurus.com

noun

(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.
the product of this act or process.

QUIZZES

THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST

In our third teacher-created PSAT practice test there are new and unique vocabulary terms you may have never heard of! Can you guess what they mean?
Question 1 of 10
seclusion
a false belief or opinion.
the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid.
the state of being isolated, kept apart, or withdrawn into solitude.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of secretion

1640–50; <Latin sēcrētiōn- (stem of sēcrētiō), equivalent to sēcrēt(us) (past participle of sēcernere to secern) + -iōn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM secretion

Words nearby secretion

secretary of state, secret ballot, secrete, secret history, secretin, secretion, secretive, secretoinhibitory, secretomotor, secretor, secretory
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to secretion

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

Example sentences from the Web for secretion

British Dictionary definitions for secretion

secretion
/ (sɪˈkriːʃən) /

noun

a substance that is released from a cell, esp a glandular cell, and is synthesized in the cell
the process involved in producing and releasing such a substance from the cell

Derived forms of secretion

secretionary, adjective

Word Origin for secretion

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

Medical definitions for secretion

secretion
[ sĭ-krē′shən ]

n.

The process of secreting a substance from a cell or gland.
A substance, such as saliva, mucus, tears, bile, or a hormone, that is secreted.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for secretion

secretion
[ sĭ-krē′shən ]

The process of secreting a substance from a cell or gland.
A substance, such as saliva, mucus, tears, bile, or a hormone, that is secreted.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.