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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

2 entries under this word

Secure

Se-cūre', a., a.

adjective

[Lat. secūrus, from se, for sine, without, and cura, care; It. securo, sicuro, Sp. & Pg. seguro, O. Fr. segur, seür, N. Fr. sûr.]

  1. Free from care or anxiety; easy in mind; not feeling suspicion or distrust; confident. “But thou, secure of soul, unbent with woes.” Dryden.
  2. Over-confident; incautious; careless;—in a bad sense.
  3. Confident in opinion; not entertaining, or not having reason to entertain, doubt; certain; sure;—commonly with of; as, secure of a welcome.

Confidence then bore thee on, secure To meet no danger. Milton. 4. Not exposed to danger; safe;—applied to persons and things, and followed by against or from. “Secure from fortune’s blows.” Dryden. Syn.—Safe; undisturbed; easy; sure; certain; assured; confident; careless; heedless; inattentive.

Se-cūre', v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. SECURED; p. pr. & vb. n. SECURING.] [Pr., Sp., & Pg. segurar, It. securare, sicurare. See supra.] 1. To make safe; to relieve from apprehensions of, or exposure to, danger; to guard; to protect. I spread a cloud before the victor's sight. Sustained the vanquished, and secured his flight. Dryden. 2. To put beyond hazard of not receiving, or of losing; to make certain; to assure; to insure; as, to secure a debt by a mortgage; — rarely with of. It secures its possessor of eternal happiness. Dick.

  1. To make fast; to close, inclose, or confine effectually; to render incapable of getting loose or escaping; as, to secure a prisoner; to secure a door, or the hatches of a ship.
  2. To get possession of; to make one's self secure of; to acquire certainly; as, to secure an estate.

To secure arms (Mil.), to hold a musket with the muzzle down, the lock being well up under the arm, and the barrel toward the ground, the object being to guard the weapon from becoming wet.