secrete

secrete — verb

1. to make a fluid inside a living cell, gland, or organ and then give it off so th

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to make a fluid inside a living cell, gland, or organ and then give it off so that it can perform a specific task in the body — for instance, the pancreas secretes insulin to manage blood sugar, and sweat glands secrete perspiration to cool the skin.

Example

The pancreas secretes insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels.

secrete + hormone as object

Sari's sweat glands secrete a salty liquid that cools her skin as she runs.

sweat glands as subject + bodily fluid object

Common collocations
  • secrete hormones
  • secrete enzymes
  • secrete mucus
  • secrete sweat
  • secrete fluid
  • secrete acid
Synonyms
  • release

    more general, not limited to biological contexts

  • produce

    focuses on creation of the substance rather than its release

  • excrete

    specifically elimination of waste — different purpose from 'secrete'

Antonyms
  • absorb

    to take in rather than release a substance

  • consume

    to use up rather than give off

Grammar Patterns

secrete + noun (substance)

Usage Note

Used almost exclusively in biology and medicine. The subject is typically a gland, cell, organ, or the organism itself. The object names the substance produced (a hormone, enzyme, mucus, sweat, etc.).

Common Mistakes

The kidneys secrete urine into the bladder.
The kidneys excrete urine into the bladder.
'secrete' means release for a useful function; 'excrete' means eliminate as waste.
The plant secrets a sticky liquid.
The plant secretes a sticky liquid.
'secrets' is not a verb; the correct verb form is 'secretes'.

2. to place an object somewhere out of sight so that other people are unlikely to f

2.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to place an object somewhere out of sight so that other people are unlikely to find it — for example, secreting a spare key under a loose floorboard, or secreting a love letter inside a book.

Example

Before the exam, Omar secreted a small cheat sheet inside his pencil case.

secrete + object + preposition (inside)

The spy had secreted the microfilm in a hollowed-out book on the shelf.

past perfect: had secreted + complex location

Common collocations
  • secrete in a drawer
  • secrete under a floorboard
  • secrete behind a picture
  • secrete inside a book
  • secrete away
Synonyms
  • hide

    general term; far more common in everyday language

  • conceal

    emphasises keeping something out of sight; similar register

  • stash

    informal; suggests storing for later use

Antonyms
  • reveal

    to make something known or visible

  • expose

    to uncover or leave unprotected

  • display

    to show openly

Grammar Patterns

secrete + noun + preposition (in/under/behind/inside)

Usage Note

This sense is literary or formal. In everyday speech, 'hide' or 'stash' are far more common. The object hidden is usually small enough to be placed discreetly. Frequently used with a following prepositional phrase specifying the location.

Common Mistakes

She secret the letter in a drawer.
She secreted the letter in a drawer.
'secret' is an adjective or noun; the verb form is 'secrete' (pronounced /sɪˈkriːt/, not /ˈsiːkrət/).
He secreted away from the crowd.
He concealed himself from the crowd.
'secrete' is transitive; you must secrete something, not yourself.

Word family

  • secretion
    nounC1
  • secretory
    adjectiveC1
  • secret
    adjectiveB1
  • secret
    nounA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Secrete' is the precise scientific term for when a cell, gland, or organ makes and releases a substance that has a specific function — insulin helps regulate sugar, sweat cools the body. 'Excrete' also means to release a substance from the body, but the key difference is purpose: excretion removes waste that the body does not need (urine, carbon dioxide), while secretion serves a biological function. 'Release' is a far more general verb that works in any context (release a prisoner, release a song, release pressure) and lacks the biological specificity of 'secrete.' 'Produce' focuses on the creation of the substance rather than its release: a gland 'produces' hormones, but 'secretes' emphasises that those hormones are actually delivered out of the cell. In a biology class, use 'secrete' for precision; in everyday English, 'release' or 'produce' are more natural.

secrete ↗excreterelease ↗produce ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • glands
  • cells
  • organs
  • hormones
  • enzymes
  • fluids

Adverbs

Phrases

  • secrete a substance
  • secrete fluid
  • cells that secrete

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

From Latin sēcrētus, meaning 'separated, set apart' — the past participle of sēcernere ('to separate, to distinguish'), which itself comes from sē- ('apart') and cernere ('to sift, to separate'). The two modern meanings both carry the core idea of 'setting apart': a cell sets apart a substance from itself (biological release), or a person sets an object apart from view (hide).