excerpt

[ noun ek-surpt; verb ik-surpt, ek-surpt ]

/ noun ˈɛk sɜrpt; verb ɪkˈsɜrpt, ˈɛk sɜrpt /

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noun

a passage or quotation taken or selected from a book, document, film, or the like; extract.

verb (used with object)

to take or select (a passage) from a book, film, or the like; extract.

to take or select passages from (a book, film, or the like); abridge by choosing representative sections.

Nearby words

exception proves the rule, the, exceptionable, exceptional, exceptionalism, exceptive, excerpt, excerpta, excess, excess baggage, excess demand, excess insurance

Origin of excerpt

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin excerptus (past participle of excerpere to pick out, pluck out), equivalent to ex- ex-¹ + -cerp- (combining form of carpere to pluck) + -tus past participle suffix

SYNONYMS FOR excerpt

1 selection, portion, section, part.

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Related forms

ex·cerpt·er, ex·cerp·tor, nounex·cerpt·i·ble, adjectiveex·cerp·tion, nounun·ex·cerpt·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for excerpt

At that same conference in D.C. where she met Saa, Gurira performed an excerpt from Eclipsed.
Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira Vs. Boko Haram|Kristi York Wooten|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Here, an excerpt from a new book that details her path to revenge and its unintended aftermath.
Mossad’s Greatest Female Assassin: An Excerpt From ‘Sylvia Rafael’|Ram Oren,   Moti Kfir|September 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In an excerpt from his autobiography, he describes the reaction.
Rebels Rise Again Over Flag Banning|Robert Khayat|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In an excerpt from 'What We Won,' the story of Abdul Rashid Dostum.
The Warlord Who Defines Afghanistan: An Excerpt From Bruce Riedel’s ’What We Won’|Bruce Riedel|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In an excerpt from his ebook The Dudes Abide, Jeff Bridges and John Goodman meet the Dude and Walter for the first time.
The Stacks: The Day ‘The Big Lebowski’ Came to Life|Alex Belth|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We should not now combine a Norse saga with an excerpt from a novel by George Meredith.
Ulysses|James Joyce
A third story of the death of Cambyses, that of Trogus, is also retained in an excerpt only.
The History of Antiquity|Max Duncker
This e-book is a reproduction of an original that itself is an excerpt of a larger work, as stated in the Publisher's Preface.
The Biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne|Andrew A. Bonar
To this extent the persona must be considered an excerpt of the collective psyche, and also a component of the collective psyche.
Collected Papers on Analytical Psychology|C. G. Jung
The excerpt printed last was written at the time when she professed to entertain both beliefs.
The Love Affairs of Lord Byron|Francis Henry Gribble

British Dictionary definitions for excerpt

excerpt

noun (ˈɛksɜːpt)

a part or passage taken from a book, speech, play, etc, and considered on its own; extract

verb (ɛkˈsɜːpt)

(tr) to take (a part or passage) from a book, speech, play, etc

Derived Forms

excerptor, nounexcerptible, adjectiveexcerption, noun

Word Origin for excerpt

C17: from Latin excerptum, literally: (something) picked out, from excerpere to select, from carpere to pluck

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012