sē-cerno, crēvi, crētum, 3 (old inf. secernier, Lucr. 3, 263), v. a.
I Lit., to put apart , to sunder , sever , separate (freq. and class.; not in Caes.; cf.: sepono, sejungo, secludo); constr. with simple acc., or with ab aliquā re; less freq. ex aliquā re; poet. with abl.
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.—
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.—
II Trop., to separate , disjoin , part , dissociate (syn.: internosco, distinguo).
α With simple acc.: hosce ego homines excipio et secerno libenter, set apart , Cic. Cat. 4, 7, 15.—
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.—
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.—
C To set aside , reject : cum reus frugalissimum quemque secerneret, Cic. Att. 1, 16, 3: minus idoneos senatores, Suet. Vit. 2.
IX —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).
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.—
B In partic.
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,
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, Plin. 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. —
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 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,
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 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 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 (Acc. to A.) Apart , by itself , separately : de quibus (hortis) suo loco dicam secretius, Col. 11, 2, 25. —
2 (Acc. to B. 2.) In secret , secretly; without witnesses; in private.
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.—
β sēcrētē , Tert. Or. 1 med. ; id. Pall. 4 fin. —
b Comp. : secretius emittitur inflatio, Sen. Q. N. 5, 4, 1. —
γ sēcrētim , Amm. 29, 1, 6.