secrete
Definitions
(of a gland or cell) to produce and release a substance
分泌（激素、酶、黏液等）
To hide something away; to conceal
藏匿，隐藏
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedse- (apart) + crete (sifted, from cernere) = to set apart. The body sets a substance apart and releases it — a gland secretes hormones. The rarer sense, to secrete (hide) something, comes from the same "set apart, keep separate" image that gives us secret.
Root cern still carries 28 more wordsUsage Guide
Note the stress and meaning split from the noun secret. The verb is /sɪˈkriːt/ (stress on the second syllable), while secret is /ˈsiːkrɪt/ (stress on the first). The biological sense (glands secrete) is by far the most common; the "hide" sense is literary and old-fashioned.
Example Sentences
- 1.
These glands secrete a fluid that helps digestion.
- 2.
The pancreas secretes insulin to regulate blood sugar.
- 3.
She secreted the letter inside an old book.