excrete
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to discharge (waste matter, such as urine, sweat, carbon dioxide, or faeces) from the body through the kidneys, skin, lungs, bowels, etc
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(of plants) to eliminate (waste matter, such as carbon dioxide and salts) through the leaves, roots, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have excretedperfect
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has excretedperfect 3rd person singular
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are excretingprogressive
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excretingparticiple
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excretessingular 3rd person
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have been excretingperfect progressive
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am excretingprogressive 1st person singular
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is excretingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been excretingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had excretedperfect
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had been excretingperfect progressive
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excretedparticiple
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were excretingprogressive plural
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excretedsimple
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was excretingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of excrete
First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin excrētus “sifted out,” past participle of excernere “to sift out, separate,” from ex- ex- 1 + cernere “to decide, separate, sift”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Excrete, eks-krēt′, v.t. to separate from: to eject.—ns.pl.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
