secrete

1 of 2

verb (1)

se·​crete si-ˈkrēt How to pronounce secrete (audio)
secreted; secreting

transitive verb

: to form and give off (a secretion)

secrete

2 of 2

verb (2)

secreted; secreting

transitive verb

1
: to deposit or conceal in a hiding place
2
: to appropriate secretly : abstract

Did you know?

If you guessed that the secret to the origins of secrete is the word secret, you are correct. Secrete developed in the mid-18th century as an alteration of a now obsolete verb secret. That verb had the meaning now carried by secrete and derived from the familiar noun secret ("something kept hidden or unexplained"). The noun, in turn, traces back to the Latin secretus, the past participle of the verb secernere, meaning "to separate" or "to distinguish." Incidentally, there is an earlier and distinct verb secrete with the more scientific meaning "to form and give off (a secretion)." That secrete is a back-formation from secretion, another word that can be traced back to secernere.

Choose the Right Synonym for secrete

hide, conceal, screen, secrete, bury mean to withhold or withdraw from sight.

hide may or may not suggest intent.

hide in the closet
a house hidden in the woods

conceal usually does imply intent and often specifically implies a refusal to divulge.

concealed the weapon

screen implies an interposing of something that prevents discovery.

a house screened by trees

secrete suggests a depositing in a place unknown to others.

secreted the amulet inside his shirt

bury implies covering up so as to hide completely.

buried the treasure

Examples of secrete in a Sentence

Verb (2) the police found the weapon secreted under the driver's seat of the getaway car
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
But the science of menopause is considerably more recent, dating to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when physicians in Europe began to research the effects of chemicals secreted by the body which control reproduction. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025 Some ants secrete antibiotics for their nest mates with injuries. Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Feb. 2025 Oxytocin is a neuropeptide produced in the hypothalamus and secreted by the pituitary gland during times of intimacy like hugging and breastfeeding. Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025 The exhibition also highlights gold substitutes used in the past, such as sea silk made from the filaments secreted by the Pinna nobilis, a type of large saltwater clam; golden spider silk from Madagascar, and yellow cocoons produced by a type of silkworm in Cambodia. Joelle Diderich, WWD, 12 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for secrete

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

back-formation from secretion

Verb (2)

alteration of obsolete secret, from secret entry 1

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1693, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of secrete was in 1693

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Cite this Entry

“Secrete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secrete. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

secrete

1 of 2 verb
se·​crete si-ˈkrēt How to pronounce secrete (audio)
secreted; secreting
: to produce and give off a secretion
glands that secrete saliva

secrete

2 of 2 verb
se·​crete si-ˈkrēt How to pronounce secrete (audio)
ˈsē-krət
secreted; secreting
: to deposit or conceal in a hiding place

Medical Definition

secrete

transitive verb
se·​crete si-ˈkrēt How to pronounce secrete (audio)
secreted; secreting
: to form and give off (a secretion)
cells secreting mucus

More from Merriam-Webster on secrete

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