Part 174

Se*ced"er (?), n. 1. One who secedes.

2. (Eccl. Hist.) One of a numerous body of Presbyterians in Scotland who seceded from the communion of the Established Church, about the year 1733, and formed the Secession Church, so called.

Se*cern" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Secerned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Secerning.] [L. secernere. See Secrete.] 1. To separate; to distinguish.

Averroes secerns a sense of titillation, and a sense of hunger and thirst.

Sir W. Hamilton.

2. (Physiol.) To secrete; as, mucus secerned in the nose. Arbuthnot.

Se*cern"ent (?), a. [L. secernens, p. pr.] (Physiol.) Secreting; secretory.

Se*cern"ent, n. 1. That which promotes secretion.

2. (Anat.) A vessel in, or by means of, which the process of secretion takes place; a secreting vessel.

Se*cern"ment (?), n. (Physiol.) The act or process of secreting.

Se*cess" (s*ss"), n. [L. secessus. See Secede.] Retirement; retreat; secession. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

Se*ces"sion (s*ssh"n), n. [L. secessio: cf. F. sécession. See Secede.] 1. The act of seceding; separation from fellowship or association with others, as in a religious or political organization; withdrawal.

2. (U.S. Hist.) The withdrawal of a State from the national Union.

Secession Church (in Scotland). See Seceder.

Se*ces"sion*ism (?), n. The doctrine or policy of secession; the tenets of secession; the tenets of secessionists.

Se*ces"sion*ist, n. 1. One who upholds secession.

2. (U.S. Hist.) One who holds to the belief that a State has the right to separate from the Union at its will.

Seche (?), v. t. & i. To seek. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Se"chi*um (?), n. [NL.: cf. F. séchion; perhaps formed fr. Gr. &?; cucumber.] (Bot.) The edible fruit of a West Indian plant (Sechium edule) of the Gourd family. It is soft, pear-shaped, and about four inches long, and contains a single large seed. The root of the plant resembles a yam, and is used for food.

Seck (?), a. [F. sec, properly, dry, L. siccus.] Barren; unprofitable. See Rent seck, under Rent.

Seck"el (?), n. (Bot.) A small reddish brown sweet and juicy pear. It originated on a farm near Philadelphia, afterwards owned by a Mr. Seckel.

Se"cle (?), n. [L. saeculum: cf. F. siècle. See Secular.] A century. [Obs.] Hammond.

Se*clude (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Secluded; p. pr. & vb. n. Secluding.] [L. secludere, seclusum; pref. se- aside + claudere to shut. See Close, v. t.] 1. To shut up apart from others; to withdraw into, or place in, solitude; to separate from society or intercourse with others.

Let Eastern tyrants from the light of heaven Seclude their bosom slaves.

Thomson.

2. To shut or keep out; to exclude. [Obs.] Evelyn.

-- Se*clud"ed*ly, adv. -- Se*clud"ed*ness, n.

Se*clu"sion (?), n. [See Seclude.] The act of secluding, or the state of being secluded; separation from society or connection; a withdrawing; privacy; as, to live in seclusion.