▪ I. surreptitious, a.1
(sʌrɪpˈtɪʃəs)
Also 5–6 -cious.
[f. L. surreptītius, -īcius = subreptīcius (see subreptitious) + -ous. Cf. OF. surreptice, It. surrettizio, OPg. sorr-, surre(p)ticio.]
1. Obtained by ‘surreption’, suppression of the truth, or fraudulent misrepresentation: = subreptitious a.
| 1443 Proc. Privy Council V. 297 Þ{supt} þei see þ⊇ patentes þ{supt} þ⊇ Kyng hath graunted and see which be surrepticious. a 1712 Fountainhall Decis. (1759) II. 419 That it was surreptitious and obreptitious, containing a plain falsity. 1719 Ld. Herbert's Hen. VIII 108/1 If it shall..appear, that any such Apostolical Dispensations shall be..invalid, ineffectual, unsufficient, surreptitious or arreptitious. 1728 Chambers Cycl., Subreptitious or Surreptitious, a Term applied to a Letter, Licence, Patent or other Act, fraudulently obtain'd of a Superior, by concealing some Truth, which had it been known, would have prevented the Concession or Grant. 1855 Milman Lat. Chr. xiv. i. note f, The Parliament declared the ordinance surreptitious, and contrary to the rights of the Bishops. |
2. Taken, obtained, used, done, etc. by stealth, secretly, or ‘on the sly’; secret and unauthorized; clandestine.
| c 1645 Howell Lett. I. iii. xxx, The Hollander hath done him [sc. the King of Spain] more mischief by counterfeiting his Copper Coyns,..bringing it in by strange surreptitious wayes, as in..hollow Masts. 1661 Sir H. Vane's Politics 7 The Pagentry of his [sc. Oliver Cromwell's] surreptitious state. 1768 Blackstone Comm. iii. 130 In order to prevent the surreptitious discharge of prisoners. 1817 Coleridge Biog. Lit. I. 265 A surreptitious act of the imagination, which..likewise supplies by a sort of subintelligitur the one central power, which renders the movement harmonious and cyclical. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xlviii, O ladies! how many of you have surreptitious milliners' bills? 1866 Mrs. H. Wood St. Martin's Eve xvi, Stealing surreptitious glances at him through her veil. 1885 Ruskin Præterita I. iv. 13 The surreptitious enjoyments they devised. |
b. Of a passage or writing: Spurious, forged. Of an edition or copy of a book: Issued without authority, ‘pirated’.
| 1615 Crooke Body of Man 316 Wee conclude that the place aboue vrged is surreptitious. 1648 Boyle Seraph. Love Ep. Ded. (1700) 3 To run the risk of a surreptitious Edition of a Discourse. 1728 Pope Dunc. Let. Publisher, A correct copy of the Dunciad, which the many surreptitious ones have rendered so necessary. 1858 Times 29 Nov. 6/4 When they give their word that a publication is surreptitious. 1870 Lowell Among my Bks. Ser. i. (1873) 167 Plays which they reprinted from stolen and surreptitious copies. |
c. transf. Acting by stealth or secretly; † taking by stealth, appropriating secretly (obs.); stealthy, crafty, sly.
| 1615 Chapman Odyss. xxi. 296 To take, or touch with surreptitious Or violent hand, what there was left for vse. 1635 R. Brathwait Arcadian Princ. 19 Only some surreptitious proctours were there fishing, who knew no..Law-Intergatory, but the demand of their undeserved fees. 1683 Barnard Heylin 12, I have not been surreptitious of whole pages together out of the Doctors printed volumnes, and appropriated them to my self without any Mark or Asterism. 1856 Miss Mulock John Halifax xxx, The old man's look,..betraying his surreptitious curiosity. 1868 E. Edwards Ralegh I. ii. 31 He organized a new expedition..with the same surreptitious countenance which had been shown to him. 1898 ‘H. S. Merriman’ Roden's Corner xxi. 223 Glancing at the clock with a surreptitious eye. |
▪ II. † surrepˈtitious, a.2 Obs. rare.
[f. surreption2, after prec.]
Characterized by or of the nature of ‘surreption’; stealthily suggested to or introduced into the mind.
| 1534 More Treat. Passion Wks. 1276/2 A soden surrepticious delyte, cast by the diuel into the sensual parte, is no sinne at all,..except the will..consent. |