secern

present singular third person secerns · participle present secerning · participle past secerned · past secerned · first person past singular secerned · archaic present second person singular secernest · past second person singular secerned · archaic past second person singular secernedst · present singular third person secerns · archaic present singular third person secerneth · past singular third person secerned · past plural secerned · past subjunctive secerned · participle present secerning · participle past secerned

1. archaicliterarytransitiveTo separate or set apart (someone or something from other persons or things).

   '[T]is not ſo much a local and bodily ſecerning our ſelves from evil men that God requires (as the Donatiſts falſely taught) but a ſpiritual ſeparation in mind and affections, and from their ſins, more than from their perſons.

   1657, William Morice, “Diatribe. Sect[ion] III.”, in Cœna quasi Κοινη [Koine]: The Common Right to the Lords Supper Asserted in a Diatribe & Defence thereof, […], 2nd edition, London: […] R[obert] Norton for Richard Royston […], published 1660, →OCLC, page 225

   1 more example

   Often a prize would be awarded to some one dancer who had excelled his fellows. There were, I suppose, "born" Morris-dancers. Now and again one of them, flushed with triumph, would secern himself from his troupe, and would "star" round the country for his livelihood.

   1907 October, Max Beerbohm, “‘A Morris for May-Day’”, in Harper’s Monthly Magazine, volume CXV, number DCLXXXIX, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC, page 792, column 2

   Synonyms: allocate, appropriate, shelve, assign, dedicate, detach, designate, earmark

2. broadlyliterarytransitiveTo separate (something from other things) in the mind; to discriminate, to distinguish.

   Synonyms: differentiate, discern

3. archaicliterarytransitivemedicineSynonym of secrete (“to extract or separate (a substance) from the blood, etc., for excretion or for the fulfilling of a physiological function”).

   [T]he mimosa nilotica secerns from its roots a fluid as offensive as that of assafœtida; in the sap of its step an astringent acid; its glands give forth gum arabic; and its flowers an odour of a very grateful fragrance.

   1822, John Mason Good, “Class VI. Eccritica. Diseases of the Excernent Function. Physiological Proem.”, in The Study of Medicine, […], volume IV, […] [George Woodfall] for Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, →OCLC, page 287

   2 more examples

   [T]he joint-glands themſelves grovv rigid, and ſecern leſs of their proper humour. Hence vvhen the gout falls upon people in years, it proves very ſevere, for vvant of a neceſſary quantity of that oleaginous matter to extinguiſh it.

   1734, William Stukeley, “Part II”, in Of the Gout; […], London; Dublin: […] Theo. Jones […], published 1735, →OCLC, page 25

   A friend of mine, vvhen he vvas painfully fatigued by riding on horſeback, vvas accuſtomed to call up ideas into his mind, vvhich uſed to excite his anger or indignation, and thus for a time at leaſt relieved the pain of fatigue. By this temporary inſanity, the effect of the voluntary povver upon the vvhole of his ſyſtem was increaſed; as in the caſes of dropſy above mentioned, it vvould appear, that the increaſed action of the voluntary faculty of the ſenſorium affected the abſorbent ſyſtem, as vvell as the ſecerning one.

   1794, Erasmus Darwin, “Sect[ion] XXXIV. Diseases of Volition.”, in Zoonomia; or, The Laws of Organic Life, volume I, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC, page 435

   Synonyms: secrete

4. intransitiveliteraryOf a person or thing: to become separated from others.
5. intransitiveliteraryraremedicineTo secrete a substance.

   […] Birds bee commonly better Meat than Beaſts, becauſe their Fleſh doth aſſimilate more finely, and ſecerneth more ſubtilly.

   1631, Francis [Bacon], “VII. Century. [Experiment Solitary Touching Pilosity and Plumage.]”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC, paragraph 680, page 166