excrete

verb

ex·​crete ik-ˈskrēt How to pronounce excrete (audio)
excreted; excreting

transitive verb

: to separate and eliminate or discharge (waste) from the blood, tissues, or organs or from the active protoplasm
excreter noun

Examples of excrete in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Small amounts of creatine get broken down into creatinine daily, which is excreted through urine. Jennifer Lefton, Ms, Rd/n, Cnsc, Fand, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2024 Unused creatine is typically filtered and excreted in your urine. Sherri Gordon, Health, 26 Oct. 2024 Creatine breaks down to form creatinine, a waste product excreted in the urine. Jennifer Lefton, Ms, Rd/n, Cnsc, Fand, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2024 The job of filtering out waste products like urea from your bloodstream is handled by your kidneys, which send the unwanted waste to be excreted in your urine. Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 10 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for excrete 

Word History

Etymology

Latin excretus, past participle of excernere to sift out, discharge, from ex- + cernere to sift — more at certain

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of excrete was in 1620

Dictionary Entries Near excrete

Cite this Entry

“Excrete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excrete. Accessed 27 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

excrete

verb
ex·​crete ik-ˈskrēt How to pronounce excrete (audio)
excreted; excreting
: to separate and remove (waste produced by cellular activity) from the living body
urea is excreted by the kidneys in urine

Medical Definition

excrete

transitive verb
ex·​crete ik-ˈskrēt How to pronounce excrete (audio)
excreted; excreting
: to separate and eliminate or discharge (waste) from the blood, tissues, or organs or from the active protoplasm
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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