Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adverb & adjective In secret or private. Used of appointments of cardinals by the pope undisclosed in consistory.
from The Century Dictionary.
- In or within the breast; in reserve; not disclosed.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective
Secret ,private . - adjective Roman Catholicism
Designated as acardinal but not yetannounced . - adverb
Privately , in secret.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Italian : in, in + petto, breast.]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
From Italian in ("in") and petto ("chest").
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Examples
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minerva commented on the word in petto
I have still more contrivances in embryo. I could tell thee of an hundred, and still hold another hundred in petto, to pop in as I go along, to excite thy surprise, and to keep up thy attention.
Lovelace to Belford, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
December 14, 2007
minerva commented on the word in petto
In secret, held in reserve. (Literally: in the breast)
December 14, 2007