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“secret”
secret (lexicomedy)
Something told to one person at a time.
This entry is located in the following units:
cern-, cert-, cer-; cret-, creet-, cre-
(page 4)
Dictionary with a Touch of Humor
(page 7)
1. Known by only a few people and intentionally withheld from general knowledge: "I want to tell you a secret, but you must promise not to tell anyone else."
2. Keeping information hidden from other people or to very few people and consequently quiet and secluded: "They lived in a secret location of the suburbs."
3. A special or unusual way of doing something to achieve a good result: "She shared her beauty secrets with the small group."
4. Something which cannot be explained: "There are many secrets of the universe and even of many aspects of nature here on Earth."
5. Etymology: anything that is secret is "separated" from others; hence, "put out of the way, hidden".
2. Keeping information hidden from other people or to very few people and consequently quiet and secluded: "They lived in a secret location of the suburbs."
3. A special or unusual way of doing something to achieve a good result: "She shared her beauty secrets with the small group."
4. Something which cannot be explained: "There are many secrets of the universe and even of many aspects of nature here on Earth."
5. Etymology: anything that is secret is "separated" from others; hence, "put out of the way, hidden".
The word comes via Old French secret from Latin secretus, an adjectival use of the past participle of secernere, "to separate". This was a compound verb formed from the prefix se-, "apart" and cernere, "to separate".
From the 16th to the 18th centuries, secret was used as a verb, meaning "to hide", but it was then altered to secrete, based on the model of Latin secretus.
This entry is located in the following units:
cern-, cert-, cer-; cret-, creet-, cre-
(page 4)
se-
(page 1)
Secret: something that is told to just one person at a time.
This entry is located in the following unit:
paraprosdokian, paraprosdokia
(page 5)
Units related to:
“secret”
(Latin: to hide; hidden; secret)
(Latin: secret, secrecy; hidden, concealed, private)
(Greek: hidden, secret, secrets, secret writing; by extension, applied to secret code or ciphers)
(Greek > Latin: lie hidden, secret; forgetfulness, forget, inactive through forgetfulness; also sleepy, drowsy, dull, sluggish)
(Greek > Latin: secret, occult [probable literal meaning is "one whose eyes are closed"])
(Latin: secret, hidden, concealed)
(Greek: covering, covered, to cover; roof; by extension, secret, secret writing, applied to a secret code, codes, or ciphers that are hidden)
(Latin: a code of laws, a writing tablet; an account book; secret writing; originally, "the trunk of a tree")
(Greek > Latin orgia (pl), secret rites)
Word Entries containing the term:
“secret”
A secret is enough for one, too much for two, and nothing at all for three.
This entry is located in the following unit:
paraprosdokian, paraprosdokia
(page 1)
Someone who tries to get secret information about another country, government, etc.: Mildred's sister was accused of being a secret agent for a foreign government.
This entry is located in the following unit:
cern-, cert-, cer-; cret-, creet-, cre-
(page 4)
The Secret House
David Bodanis; Simon & Schuster, Inc.; New York; 1986.
24 Hours in the Strange and Unexpected World in Which We Spend Our Night and Days
This entry is located in the following unit:
Bibliography of Sources Regarding Habitat and Dwelling Environments
(page 2)
Word Entries at Get Words:
“secret”
secret
Something that is told to just one person at a time.
This entry is located in the following unit:
Definitions in Deviant and Comical Format
(page 5)