browse words by letter
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
v
w
x
y
z
secretary |
3 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Secretary \Sec"re*ta*ry\, n.; pl {Secretaries}. [F. secr['e]taire (cf. Pr secretari, Sp & Pg secretario It secretario segretario) LL secretarius, originally, a confidant, one intrusted with secrets, from L. secretum a secret. See {Secret}, a. & n.] 1. One who keeps, or is intrusted with secrets. [R.] 2. A person employed to write orders letters, dispatches, public or private papers, records, and the like an official scribe, amanuensis, or writer; one who attends to correspondence, and transacts other business, for an association, a public body, or an individual. That which is most of all profitable is acquaintance with the secretaries, and employed men of ambassadors. --Bacon. 3. An officer of state whose business is to superintend and manage the affairs of a particular department of government, and who is usually a member of the cabinet or advisory council of the chief executive; as the secretary of state, who conducts the correspondence and attends to the relations of a government with foreign courts; the secretary of the treasury, who manages the department of finance; the secretary of war, etc 4. A piece of furniture, with conveniences for writing and for the arrangement of papers; an escritoire. 5. (Zo["o]l.) The secretary bird. {Secretary Bird}. [So called in allusion to the tufts of feathers at the back of its head, which were fancifully thought to resemble pens stuck behind the ear.] (Zo["o]l.) A large long-legged raptorial bird ({Gypogeranus serpentarius}), native of South Africa, but now naturalized in the West Indies and some other tropical countries. It has a powerful hooked beak, a crest of long feathers, and a long tail. It feeds upon reptiles of various kinds, and is much prized on account of its habit of killing and devouring snakes of all kinds. Called also {serpent eater}. Syn: See the Note under {Clerk}, n., 4. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: secretary n 1: a person who is head of an administrative department of government 2: an assistant who handles correspondence and clerical work for a boss or an organization [syn: {secretarial assistant}] 3: a person to whom a secret is entrusted [syn: {repository}] 4: a piece of furniture used for a writing desk [syn: {writing table}, {escritoire}, {secretaire}] From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]: Secretary, MD (town, FIPS 70900) Location: 38.60739 N, 75.94746 W Population (1990): 528 (231 housing units) Area: 0.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
more about secretary