surreptitious

sur·rep·ti·tious (sûrp-tshs)

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Adj.	1.	surreptitious – marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed; “a furtive manner”; “a sneak attack”; “stealthy footsteps”; “a surreptitious glance at his watch” furtive, sneak, stealthy, sneaky concealed – hidden on any grounds for any motive; “a concealed weapon”; “a concealed compartment in his briefcase”
	2.	surreptitious – 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” clandestine, cloak-and-dagger, hush-hush, undercover, underground, secret, hole-and-corner, hugger-mugger covert – secret or hidden; not openly practiced or engaged in or shown or avowed; “covert actions by the CIA”; “covert funding for the rebels”