secretion

[si-kree-shuh n]

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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.

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. 2019

Related Words for secretion

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

Examples from the Web for secretion

Historical Examples of secretion

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.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology
John. B. Smith
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?
The Biology, Physiology and Sociology of Reproduction
Winfield S. Hall

British Dictionary definitions for secretion

secretion

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 Formssecretionary, 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

Word Origin and History for secretion

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.)).

secretion in Medicine