▪ I. † secretaire1 Obs. rare.
Also 5 secretare, 6 secreatore, cecretore.
[a. F. secrétaire. Cf. secretar.]
= secretary.
| 1390 Gower Conf. II. 31 Fulfild of Slowthes essamplaire Ther is yit on, his Secretaire, And he is cleped Negligence. 1475 Bk. Noblesse (Roxb.) 25 Maister Aleyn Chareter..secretaire to Charlys le bien amée [sic.]. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon ix. 210 Thenne sayd the secretare, ‘Sire, your commaundemente shall be doon.’ 1530 Palsgr. 35 The letters missyves of suche as be secreatores in the sayd countreis. 1556 Chron. Grey Friars (Camden) 46 Gardner cecretore un to the byshoppe of Wynchester. |
▪ II. ‖ secretaire2
(səkretɛr)
Also 8 secretare.
[F. secrétaire: see secretary 5.]
a. A piece of furniture, usually cabinet-shaped, in which private papers can be kept, with a shelf for writing on, and drawers and pigeon-holes; a bureau.
| 1771 in Maryland Hist. Mag. (1919) XIV. 136 If you have moved it thence it may be in the old secretare in the Chappell. 1792 T. Blaikie Diary Scotch Gardener (1931) 235 He was forced by them to come to force or break open the Secretaire and drawers. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. xlix, A cracked brown cann, with a piece of leather tied over the top. Its contents seemed to be written papers, thrust in disorder into this uncommon secrétaire. 1838 Civ. Engin. & Arch. Jrnl. I. 321/2 Description of an improved method of constructing large Secretaires and Writing-tables. 1879 ‘E. Garrett’ House by Works II. 119 Kate turned to her little secretaire and touched the spring of a secret place. |
b. secrétaire à abattant (a abatɑ̃), a variety of fall-front writing cabinet (see quot. 1977).
| 1920 F. M. Atkinson tr. R. de Félice's French Furnit. under Louis XVI & Empire ii. ii. 56 The secrétaire à abattant is one of the favourite pieces of this epoch... That is the large drop-front escritoire, a serious, rather masculine piece. 1936 Burlington Mag. May p. xvii/1 A magnificent upright Louis Quinze secrétaire à abattant, by B.V.R.B. (Boucher, already mentioned). 1967 Times 14 Mar. 21/6 Today,..at 11 a.m. at Blenstock House... Bureau Bookcase.., a Dutch Marquetry Secretaire a abattant. 1977 Fleming & Honour Penguin Dict. Decorative Arts 718/1 A secrétaire à abattant..was first made in the c17 and was very popular in late-c18 France. It stands against a wall and looks like a cabinet or cupboard with the fall-front flap closed vertically. |