Surreptitious \Sur`rep*ti"tious\, a. [L. surreptitius, or
subreptitius, fr. surripere, subripere, to snatch away, to
withdraw privily; sub- under + rapere to snatch. See {Sub-},
and {Ravish}.]
Done or made by stealth, or without proper authority; made or
introduced fraudulently; clandestine; stealthy; as, a
surreptitious passage in an old manuscript; a surreptitious
removal of goods. -- {Sur`rep*ti"tious*ly}, adv.
[1913 Webster]