excretion

[ik-skree-shuh n]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR excretion ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of excreting.

the substance excreted, as urine or sweat, or certain plant products.

Origin of excretion

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

excretion

[ik-skree-shuh n]

noun

the state of being excrescent.

an excrescence.

Origin of excretion

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

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

Related Words for excretion

expulsion, ejection, secretion, defecation, evacuation, elimination, discharge, exudation, perspiration, urination, leaving, excrement, feces, excreta

Examples from the Web for excretion

Historical Examples of excretion

The secretion or excretion of glands may be augmented or diminished.
Special Report on Diseases of the Horse
United States Department of Agriculture
In the moment of excretion, the majority act as Eliminatives.
The Action of Medicines in the System
Frederick William Headland
Bromidrosis; the excretion of perspiration of a strong odor.
Surgery, with Special Reference to Podiatry
Maximilian Stern
In the skin are many glands which by their excretion keep it soft and moist.
Elementary Zoology, Second Edition
Vernon L. Kellogg
These metals accumulate in the liver in preparation for excretion.
A System of Practical Medicine By American Authors, Vol. II
Various

Word Origin and History for excretion

c.1600, from French excrétion (16c.), from Latin excretionem, noun of action from past participle stem of excernere "to discharge" (see excrement).

excretion in Medicine

excretion

[ĭk-skrē′shən]

n.

The act or process of discharging waste matter from the blood, tissues, or organs.

The matter, such as urine, feces, or sweat, that is so excreted.

excretion in Science

excretion

[ĭk-skrē′shən]

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.