Word of the Day 12.31.08
furtive
fur·tive (fûr
t
v)
adj.
1. Characterized by stealth; surreptitious.
2. Expressive of hidden motives or purposes; shifty. See Synonyms at secret.
[French furtif, from Old French, from Latin f
rt
vus, from frtum, theft, from fr, thief; see bher-1 in Indo-European roots.]
furtive·ly adv.
furtive·ness n.
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. | furtive – 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”
concealed – hidden on any grounds for any motive; “a concealed weapon”; “a concealed compartment in his briefcase”
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| 2. | furtive – secret and sly or sordid; “backstairs gossip”; “his low backstairs cunning”- A.L.Guerard; “backstairs intimacies”; “furtive behavior”
covert – secret or hidden; not openly practiced or engaged in or shown or avowed; “covert actions by the CIA”; “covert funding for the rebels”
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