Lewis & Short

sē-cerno, crēvi, crētum, 3 (old inf. secernier, Lucr. 3, 263), v. a.

  1. I. Lit., to put apart, to sunder, sever, separate (freq. and class.; not in Cæs.; cf.: sepono, sejungo, secludo); constr. with simple acc., or with ab aliquā re; less freq. ex aliquā re; poet. with abl.
          1. (α) With simple acc.: quae non animalia solum Corpora sejungunt, sed terras ac mare totum Secernunt, Lucr. 2, 729: seorsum partem utramque, id. 3, 637: arietes, quibus sis usurus ad feturam, bimestri tempore ante secernendum, Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 13 (cf. infra, β): stamen secernit harundo, Ov. M. 6, 55: sparsos sine ordine flores Secernunt calathis, separate in baskets, id. ib. 14, 267: nihil (praedae) in publicum secernendo augenti rem privatam militi favit, setting apart for the public treasury, Liv. 7, 16; cf.: Juppiter illa piae secrevit litora genti, hath set apart for the pious race, Hor. Epod. 16, 63: inde pares centum denos secrevit in orbes Romulus, separated, divided, Ov. F. 3, 127.
          2. (β) With ab or (less freq.) with ex, and poet. with abl.: a terris altum secernere caelum, Lucr. 5, 446: ab aëre caelum, Ov. M. 1, 23: Europen ab Afro (medius liquor), Hor. C. 3, 3, 47: muro denique secernantur a nobis, Cic. Cat. 1, 13, 32: inermes ab armatis, Liv. 41, 3: militem a populo (in spectaculis), Suet. Aug. 44: se a bonis, Cic. Cat. 1, 13, 32; cf.: se ab Etruscis, Liv. 6, 10.
            In the part. perf.: antequam incipiat admissura fieri, mares a feminis secretos habeant, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 18 (cf. supra, α); so, saepta ab aliis, id. ib. 2, 2, 8: manus a nobis, Lucr. 2, 912; 3, 552: sphaera ab aethereā conjunctione, Cic. N. D. 2, 21, 55: sucus a reliquo cibo, id. ib. 2, 55, 137: bilis ab eo cibo, id. ib. al.: secreti ab aliis ad tribunos adducuntur, Liv. 6, 25; 25, 30: secretis alterius ab altero criminibus, id. 40, 8 fin.; 39, 10: se e grege imperatorum, id. 35, 14 fin.: unum e praetextatis compluribus, Suet. Aug. 94 med.: monile ex omni gazā, id. Galb. 18: me gelidum nemus Nympharumque leves chori Secernunt populo, separate, distinguish, Hor. C. 1, 1, 32.
  2. II. Trop., to separate, disjoin, part, dissociate (syn.: internosco, distinguo).
          1. (α) With simple acc.: hosce ego homines excipio et secerno libenter, set apart, Cic. Cat. 4, 7, 15.
          2. (β) With ab, or poet. with abl.: ut venustas et pulchritudo corporis secerni non potest a valetudine; sic, etc., Cic. Off. 1, 27, 95: animum a corpore, id. Tusc. 1, 31, 75: tertium genus (laudationum) a praeceptis nostris, id. de Or. 2, 84, 341; cf.: ipsam pronuntiationem ab oratore, Quint. 1, 11, 17: dicendi facultatem a majore vitae laude, id. 2, 15, 2: sua a publicis consiliis, Liv. 4, 57: haec a probris ac sceleribus ejus, Suet. Ner. 19 et saep.: cur me a ceteris clarissimis viris in hoc officio secernas, Cic. Sull. 1, 3: publica privatis, sacra profanis, Hor. A. P. 397.
    1. B. To distinguish, discern: blandum amicum a vero, Cic. Lael. 25, 95: non satis acute, quae sunt secernenda, distinguit, id. Top. 7, 31: nec natura potest justo secernere iniquum, Dividit ut bona diversis, fugienda petendis, Hor. S. 1, 3, 113: turpi honestum, id. ib. 1, 6, 63.
    2. C. To set aside, reject: cum reus frugalissimum quemque secerneret, Cic. Att. 1, 16, 3: minus idoneos senatores, Suet. Vit. 2.
      Hence, sēcrē-tus, a, um, P. a., severed, separated; hence, separate, apart (as an adj. not freq. till after the Aug. period; not in Cic.; syn.: sejunctus, seclusus).
    1. A. In gen.: ne ducem suum, neve secretum imperium propriave signa haberent, miscuit manipulos, etc., Liv. 1, 52: electa (uva defertur) in secretam corbulam, Varr. R. R. 1, 54, 2: arva, Verg. A. 6, 478; Varr. L. L. 9, § 57 Müll.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Of places or things pertaining to them, out of the way, retired, remote, lonely, solitary, secret (syn.: solus, remotus, arcanus): secreta petit loca, balnea vitat, Hor. A. P. 298: locus (opp. celeber), Quint. 11, 1, 47: montes, Ov. M. 11, 765: silva, id. ib. 7, 75: litora, id. ib. 12, 196: pars domus (the gynaeceum), id. ib. 2, 737; cf. in sup.: secretissimus locus (navis), Petr. 100, 6: vastum ubique silentium, secreti colles, solitary, i. e. abandoned, deserted by the enemy, = deserti, Tac. Agr. 38: iter (with semita), solitary, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 103; cf. quies, Mart. 7, 32, 4.
        Of persons and transactions, private, secret: invadit secretissimos tumultus, Sen. Ep. 91, 5: vacuis porticibus secretus agitat, Tac. A. 11, 21: est aliquis ex secretis studiis fructus, private studies, Quint. 2, 18, 4; so, studia (opp. forum), id. 12, 6, 4: disputationes, id. 12, 2, 7: contentio, Plin. Ep. 7, 9, 4 et saep.
        Hence,
        1. b. Subst.: sēcrētum, i, n., retirement, solitude, secrecy; a solitude, solitary place, retreat (syn.: solitudo, secessus); sing.: cum stilus secreto gaudeat atque omnes arbitros reformidet, Quint. 10, 7, 16: secreti longi causā, Ov. H. 21, 21: altum abditumque secretum, Phn. Ep. 2, 17, 22: dulce, id. ib. 3, 1, 6; Quint. 10, 3, 30; 12, 5, 2; Tac. A. 4, 57; 14, 53; id. Agr. 39 fin.; Phaedr. 3, 10, 11; 4, 23, 6; Luc. 3, 314.
          Plur.: se a vulgo et scaenā in secreta removere, Hor. S. 2, 1, 71: horrendaeque procul secreta Sibyllae, Verg. A. 6, 10; Ov. M. 1, 594; Tac. H. 3, 63; Quint. 1, 2, 18: dulcis secretorum comes (eloquentia), id. 1, 4, 5: cameli solitudines aut secreta certe petunt, Plin. 10, 63, 83, § 173.
          Comp.: haec pars Suevorum in secretiora Germaniae porrigitur, into the more remote parts, Tac. G. 41.
          1. (β) Absol.: in secreto, in a secret place, secretly: tempus in secreto lbi tereret, Liv. 26, 19, 5: reus in secreto agebatur, Curt. 10, 4, 29.
      2. 2. That is removed from acquaintance (cf. abditus), hidden, concealed, secret: secreta ducis pectora, Mart. 5, 5, 4: secretas advocat artes, Ov. M. 7, 138: ars, Petr. 3: litterae (with familiares), Quint. 1, 1, 29: carmina (the Sibylline odes), Luc. 1, 599: libidines, Tac. A. 1, 4 fin.: quaedam imperii pignora, Flor. 1, 2, 3.
        With ab: nec quicquam secretum alter ab altero haberent, Liv. 39, 10, 1.
        Comp.: libertus ex secretioribus ministeriis, Tac. Agr. 40: praemia (opp. publica largitio), id. H. 1, 24: aliud (nomen), Quint. 1, 4, 25: vitium stomachi, Mart. 3, 77, 9.
        Poet. for the adv. secreto: tu (Anna) secreta pyram tecto interiore Erige, in secret, secretly, Verg. A. 4, 494; cf.: stridere secreta divisos aure susurros, secretly in each one’s ear, Hor. S. 2, 8, 78.
        Hence,
        1. b. Subst.: sēcrētum, i, n., something secret, secret conversation; a mystery, secret: secretum petenti non nisi adhibito filio dedit, Suet. Tib. 25 fin.; id. Calig. 23: illuc me persecutus secretum petit, a secret interview, Plin. Ep. 1, 5, 11: petito secreto futura aperit, Tac. H. 2, 4.
          Piur.: crebra cum amicis secreta habere, Tac. A. 13, 18: animi secreta proferuntur, Plin. 14, 22, 28, § 141: nulla lex jubet amicorum secreta non eloqui, Sen. Ben. 5, 21, 1: omnium secreta rimari, Tac. A. 6, 3: horribile secretum, Petr. 21, 3; Tac. H. 1, 17 fin.; id. Agr. 25; Suet. Aug. 66: uxor omnis secreti capacissima, Plin. Ep. 1, 12, 7; Quint. 12, 9, 5 al.
          Concr.: lucos ac nemora consecrant deorumque nominibus appellant secretum illud, quod solā reverentiā vident, that mysterious being, Tac. G. 9 fin.
          Plur.:           introitus, aperta, secreta velut in annales referebat, Tac. A. 4, 67; cf.: gens non astuta aperit adhuc secreta pectoris licentia joci, id. G. 22: oratio animi secreta detegit, Quint. 11, 1, 30; Tac. A. 1, 6; 4, 7 fin.; 6, 3; id. G. 19; Plin. Pan. 68, 6; Suet. Tib. 52; id. Oth. 3 et saep.
          Concr.: (Minerva) hanc legem dederat, sua ne secreta viderent, i. e. the mysteries, Ov. M. 2, 556; 2, 749; cf.: secretiora quaedam, magic arts, Amm. 14, 6, 14: in secretis ejus reperti sunt duo libelli, among his private papers, Suet. Calig. 49.
      3. 3. Pregn., separate from what is common, i. e. uncommon, rare, recondite (perh. only in the two foll. passages of Quint.): (figurae) secretae et extra vulgarem usum positae, etc., Quint. 9, 3, 5: interpretatio linguae secretioris, quas Graeci γλώσσας vocant, i. e. of the more uncommon words, id. 1, 1, 35 (for which: glossemata id est voces minus usitatas, id. 1, 8, 15).
      4. 4. In Lucr., of any thing separated from what belongs to it, i. e. wanting, deprived of, without something; with abl. or gen.: nec porro secreta cibo natura animantum Propagare genus possit (corresp. to sine imbribus), Lucr. 1, 194: (corpora) secreta teporis Sunt ac frigoris omnino calidique vaporis (corresp. to spoliata colore), id. 2, 843.
        Hence, adv., in three forms: secreto (class.), secrete (post-class.), and secretim (late Lat. and very rare).
      1. * 1. (Acc. to A.) Apart, by itself, separately: de quibus (hortis) suo loco dicam secretius, Col. 11, 2, 25.
      2. 2. (Acc. to B. 2.) In secret, secretly; without witnesses; in private.
          1. (α) sēcrē-tō: mirum, quid solus secum secreto ille agat, Plaut. Am. 3, 2, 73: secreto illum adjutabo, id. Truc. 2, 7, 7: secreto hoc audi, Cic. Fam. 7, 25, 2: nescio quid secreto velle loqui te Aiebas mecum, Hor. S. 1, 9, 67: secreto te huc seduxi, Plaut. Aul. 2, 1, 14: facere, id. Bacch. 5, 2, 30; 5, 2, 35; Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 45, § 100; id. Att. 7, 8, 4; Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 1, 4: secreto ab aliis, Liv. 3, 36: secreto agere cum aliquo, Caes. B. G. 1, 31, 1; Quint. 5, 13, 16; 9, 2, 79; Plin. Ep. 3, 20, 8; Curt. 7, 2, 13.
          2. (β) sēcrētē, Tert. Or. 1 med.; id. Pall. 4 fin.
        1. b. Comp.: secretius emittitur inflatio, Sen. Q. N. 5, 4, 1.
          1. (γ) sēcrētim, Amm. 29, 1, 6.