Conceal, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Concealed; p. pr. & vb. n. Concealing.]
Etymology: [OF. conceler, L. concelare; con- + celareto hide; akin to AS. helan, G. hehlen, E. hele (to cover), helmet. See Hell, Helmet.]
To hide or withdraw from observation; to cover; to cover or keep from sight; to prevent the discovery of; to withhold knowledge of. It is the glory of God to conceal a thing. Prov. xxv. 2. Declare ye among the nations, . . . publish and conceal not. Jer. 1. 2. He which finds him shall deserve our thanks, . . . He that conceals him, death. Shak.
Syn. -- To hide; secrete; screen; cover; disguise; dissemble; mask; veil; cloak; screen. -- To Conceal, Hide, Disguise, Dissemble, Secrete. To hide is the generic term, which embraces all the rest. To conceal is simply not make known what we wish to keep secret. In the Bible hide often has the specific meaning of conceal. See 1 Sam. iii. 17, 18. To disguise or dissemble is to conceal by assuming some false appearance. To secrete is to hide in some place of secrecy. A man may conceal facts, disguise his sentiments, dissemble his feelings, secrete stolen goods. Bur double griefs afflict concealing hearts. Spenser. Both dissemble deeply their affections. Shak. We have in these words a primary sense, which reveals a future state, and a secondary sense, which hides and secretes it. Warburton.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for conceal; he lists it under hide, palliate.
Where he writes about it:
As an act of persons, to conceal is always intentional; one may hide his face in anger, grief, or abstraction; he conceals his face when he fears recognition. — from hide
Secrete is a stronger word than conceal, and is used chiefly of such material objects as may be separated from the person, or from their ordinary surroundings, and put in unlooked-for places; a man conceals a scar on his face, but does not secrete it; a thief secretes stolen goods; an officer may also be said to secrete himself to watch the thief. — from hide