secrete
v.v. to produce and release a substance, like a liquid or a gas, from a part of your body. It is often used to describe how glands or cells work.
v. to produce and release a substance, such as a hormone or enzyme, from a gland or cell. Often used in biological contexts to describe the internal release of materials.
The pancreas secretes insulin to help control blood sugar.
Certain plants can secrete a sticky substance to trap insects and protect themselves from predators.
The endocrine system relies on glands that secrete chemical messengers directly into the bloodstream to regulate long-term physiological processes.
First attested in 1678: from Latin sēcrētus (“[having been] separated”).
First directly attested in 1728; attested as the past-participial adjective secreted in 1707: from Latin sēcrētus, perfect passive participle of sēcernō (“I separate”); reinforced by back-formation from secretion; compare secern; cognate with French sécréter and the Spanish secretar.
Alteration of secret.