Hypertext Webster Gateway: "surreptitious"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Surreptitious \Sur`rep*ti"tious\, a. [L. surreptitius, or
subreptitius, fr. surripere, subripere, to snatch away, to
withdraw privily; sub- under + rapere to snatch. See {Sub-},
and {Ravish}.]
Done or made by stealth, or without proper authority; made or
introduced fraudulently; clandestine; stealthy; as, a
surreptitious passage in an old manuscript; a surreptitious
removal of goods. -- {Sur`rep*ti"tious*ly}, adv.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
surreptitious
adj 1: marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to
avoid being observed; "a furtive manner"; "a lurking
prowler"; "a sneak attack"; "stealthy footsteps"; "a
surreptitious glance at his watch"; "someone skulking
in the shadows" [syn: {furtive}, {lurking}, {skulking},
{sneak(a)}, {sneaky}, {stealthy}]
2: conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods;
"clandestine intelligence operations"; "cloak-and-dagger
activities behind enemy lines"; "hole-and-corner
intrigue"; "secret missions"; "a secret agent"; "secret
sales of arms"; "surreptitious mobilization of troops";
"an undercover investigation"; "underground resistance"
[syn: {clandestine}, {cloak-and-dagger}, {hole-and-corner(a)},
{hugger-mugger}, {hush-hush}, {on the quiet(p)}, {secret},
{undercover}, {underground}]
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