secrete

/səˈkrit/

/səˈkrit/

Other forms: secreted; secreting; secretes

Secrete is all about secrets. It means both "to hide" and "to release." When you squeeze a lemon, it secretes juice. When you stuff your money in a mattress, you secrete it there.

It's easy to remember that secrete's all about secrets when you see the word secret inside secrete. Imagine the first person who squeezed a lemon and secreted the juice. Probably felt like he'd discovered a secret stash of citrus goodness. If he was greedy, maybe he gathered all the lemons he could find and secreted them away in a box so no one else would learn the secret of the juice-secretion.

Definitions of secrete

1. verb

   generate and separate from cells or bodily fluids
   “secrete digestive juices”

   synonyms: release

   types:

   water

   secrete or form water, as tears or saliva

   type of:

   exudate, exude, ooze, ooze out, transude

   release (a liquid) in drops or small quantities
2. verb

   place out of sight; keep secret
   “The money was secreted from his children”

   type of:

   conceal, hide

   prevent from being seen or discovered