definitions

excoriate

[ ik-skawr-ee-eyt, -skohr- ]
/ ɪkˈskɔr iˌeɪt, -ˈskoʊr- /
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verb (used with object), ex·co·ri·at·ed, ex·co·ri·at·ing.

to denounce or berate severely; flay verbally: He was excoriated for his mistakes.
to strip off or remove the skin from: Her palms were excoriated by the hard labor of shoveling.

RELATED WORDS

revile, castigate, chastise, scold, berate, upbraid, lambaste, rebuke, lash, vilify, reproach, condemn, chafe, peel, rub, scratch, strip, flay, scarify, abrade

Nearby words

excommunicable, excommunicate, excommunication, excommunicative, excommunicatory, excoriate, excoriation, excorticate, excrement, excrementitious, excrescence

Origin of excoriate

1375–1425; late Middle English < Late Latin excoriātus (past participle of excoriāre to strip, skin). See ex-1, corium, -ate1

Related forms

un·ex·co·ri·at·ed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for excoriate

British Dictionary definitions for excoriate

excoriate

/ (ɪkˈskɔːrɪˌeɪt) /

verb (tr)

to strip (the skin) from (a person or animal); flay
med to lose (a superficial area of skin), as by scratching, the application of chemicals, etc
to denounce vehemently; censure severely

Derived Forms

excoriation, noun

Word Origin for excoriate

C15: from Late Latin excoriāre to strip, flay, from Latin corium skin, hide
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

Medicine definitions for excoriate

excoriate

[ ĭk-skôr′ē-āt′ ]

v.

To scratch or otherwise abrade the skin by physical means.

Related forms

ex•co′ri•a′tion n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.