Secretary bird. [So called in allusion to the tufts of feathers at the
back of its head, which were fancifully thought to resemble pens stuck
behind the ear.] (Zoöl.) A large long-legged raptorial bird
(Gypogeranus serpentarius), native of South Africa, but now naturalized
in the West Indies and some other tropical countries. It has a powerful
hooked beak, a crest of long feathers, and a long tail. It feeds upon
reptiles of various kinds, and is much prized on account of its habit
of killing and devouring snakes of all kinds. Called also serpent
eater.
Syn. -- See the Note under Clerk, n., 4.
Sec"re*ta*ry*ship, n. The office, or the term of office, of a
secretary.
Se*crete" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Secreted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Secreting.] [L. secretus separated, secret, hidden, p. p. of secernere.
See Secret, and cf. Discrete, Discreet.] 1. To deposit in a place of
hiding; to hide; to conceal; as, to secrete stolen goods; to secrete
one's self.
2. (Physiol.) To separate from the blood and elaborate by the process
of secretion; to elaborate and emit as a secretion. See Secretion.
Why one set of cells should secrete bile, another urea, and so on,
we do not know.
Carpenter.
Syn. -- To conceal; hide. See Conceal.
Se*cre"tion (?), n. [L. secretio: cf. F. sécrétion.] 1. The act of
secreting or concealing; as, the secretion of dutiable goods.
2. (Physiol.) The act of secreting; the process by which material is
separated from the blood through the agency of the cells of the various
glands and elaborated by the cells into new substances so as to form
the various secretions, as the saliva, bile, and other digestive
fluids. The process varies in the different glands, and hence are
formed the various secretions.
3. (Physiol.) Any substance or fluid secreted, or elaborated and
emitted, as the gastric juice.