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secretion

 - 8 dictionary results

se⋅cre⋅tion

  [si-kree-shuhn]
Use secretion in a Sentence
–noun
1. (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.
2. the product of this act or process.
Origin:
1640–50; < L sēcrētiōn- (s. of sēcrētiō), equiv. to sēcrēt(us) (ptp. of sēcernere to secern ) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms:
se⋅cre⋅tion⋅ar⋅y  [si-kree-shuh-ner-ee] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To secretion
se·cre·tion 1   (sĭ-krē'shən)   
n.  

  1. The process of secreting a substance, especially one that is not a waste, from the blood or cells: secretion of hormones; secretion of milk by the mammary glands.

  2. A substance, such as saliva, mucus, tears, bile, or a hormone, that is secreted.


[French sécrétion, from Old French, separation, from Latin sēcrētiō, sēcrētiōn-, from sēcrētus, past participle of sēcernere, to set aside; see secern.]
se·cre'tion·ar'y (-shə-něr'ē) adj.
se·cre·tion 2   (sĭ-krē'shən)   
n.  

  1. The act of concealing something in a hiding place.

  2. The act of stealing something secretly.


[From secrete2.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

secretion 
1646, from Fr. sécrétion, from L. secretionem (nom. secretio) "separation," from pp. stem of secernere "to separate, set apart" (see secret). The verb secrete in this sense is a back-formation first attested 1707.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: se·cre·tion
Pronunciation: si-'krE-sh&n
Function: noun
1 : the process of segregating, elaborating, and releasing somematerial either functionally specialized (as saliva) or isolated for excretion (as urine)
2 : a product of secretion formed by an animal or plant; especially : oneperforming a specific useful function in the organism
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

secretion se·cre·tion (sĭ-krē'shən)
n.

  1. The process of secreting a substance from a cell or gland.

  2. A substance, such as saliva, mucus, tears, bile, or a hormone, that is secreted.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
secretion   (sĭ-krē'shən)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. The process of secreting a substance from a cell or gland.

  2. A substance, such as saliva, mucus, tears, bile, or a hormone, that is secreted.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

secretion

in biology, production and release of a useful substance by a gland or cell; also, the substance produced. In addition to the enzymes and hormones that facilitate and regulate complex biochemical processes, body tissues also secrete a variety of substances that provide lubrication and moisture. Within an individual cell the Golgi apparatus and its associated secretory granules are thought to be the structures responsible for the production and release of secretory substances.

Learn more about secretion with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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