excretion

¹

[ ik-skree-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of excreting.
2. the substance excreted, as urine or sweat, or certain plant products.

excretion

²

[ ik-skree-shuhn ]

noun

1. the state of being excrescent.
2. an excrescence.

excretion

/ ĭk-skrē′shən /

1. The elimination by an organism of waste products that result from metabolic processes. In plants, waste is minimal and is eliminated primarily by diffusion to the outside environment. Animals have specific organs of excretion. In vertebrates, the kidney filters blood, conserving water and producing urea and other waste products in the form of urine. The urine is then passed through the ureters to the bladder and discharged through the urethra. The skin and lungs, which eliminate carbon dioxide, are also excretory organs.

Word History and Origins

Origin of excretion¹

1595–1605; < Late Latin excrētiōn- (stem of excrētiō ) that which is sifted out. See excrete, -ion

Origin of excretion²

1605–15; < Late Latin excrētiōn- (stem of excrētiō ), equivalent to Latin excrēt ( us ) (past participle of excrēscere; ex- ¹, crescent ) + iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

This is a novel stained with all manner of fluids, excretions and smells, and the narrator fights an almost constant sense of nausea.

From Washington Post

Human excretions, as well as those from other animals, usually leave the body after passing through the lungs, kidneys and skin.

From Science News For Students

Excretion of these substances is greatly increased by a diet rich in nuclei, as sweetbreads and liver.

From Project Gutenberg

It is a very common error to consider these deposits as evidence of excessive excretion.

From Project Gutenberg

Factors which favor an early deposit are high acidity, diminished urinary pigments, and excessive excretion of uric acid.

From Project Gutenberg

The organs of excretion: such as the kidneys and skin, which pass off nitrogenous and other waste matters from the body.

From Project Gutenberg

In man, the skin and kidneys remove this waste from the body, hence they are called the organs of excretion.

From Project Gutenberg