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To import or export secretly, contrary to the law; to import or export without paying the duties imposed by law; as, to smuggle lace.

To convey rapidly and secretly, or mysteriously, as if by the agency of a spirit; to kidnap; -- often with away, or off. The ministry had him spirited away, and carried abroad as a dangerous person. Arbuthnot & Pope. I felt as if I had been spirited into some castle of antiquity. Willis. Spiriting away (Law), causing t…

To explore; to view; inspect; and examine secretly, as a country; -- usually with out. Moses sent to spy Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof. Num. xxi. 32.

Fig.: To injure secretly or by malicious falsehood or slander; as, to stab a person's reputation.

To accomplish in a concealed or unobserved manner; to try to carry out secretly; as, to steal a look. Always, when thou changest thine opinion or course, profess it plainly, . . . and do not think to steal it. Bacon. To steal a march, to march in a covert way; to gain an advantage unobserved; -- formerly followed by of…

To aid secretly; to assist in a private manner, or indirectly. [R.] Daniel.

Put secretly in the place of something else; foisted in. [R.]

To procure privately, or by collusion; to procure by indirect means; to incite secretly; to instigate. Thou art suborned against his honor. Shak. Those who by despair suborn their death. Dryden.

To inform secretly. [Obs.]

To deal unfairly; to practice secretly; to use bribery. Others tampered For Fleetwood, Desborough, and Lambert. Hudibras.

Covertly; privately; secretly. [Obs.] Holinshed.

One who secretly watches race horses which are in course of training, to get information about their capabilities, for use in betting. [Cant. Eng.]

To act secretly, or in an underhand way; to tamper. [Obs.] Wright.

Under the board, or table; hence, secretly; unfairly; underhand. See the Note under Aboveboard.

To creep secretly or privily. [Obs.] Wyclif.

To influence secretly. [Obs.] Sir H. Wotton.

To exert one's influence secretly. [Obs.] Ld. North.

To injure by working secretly; to destroy or overthrow by clandestine measure; to undermine. But thou from loving England art so far, That thou hast underwrought his lawful king. Shak.

Tom Thumb, a fairy page, He sent it, and doth him engage, By promise of a mighty wage, It secretly to carry. Drayton. Our praises are our wages. Shak. Existing legislation on the subject of wages. Encyc. Brit.

To prompt secretly or cautiously; to inform privately. [Obs.] "He came to whisper Wolsey." Shak.