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.
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 Consuming caffeine can increase the amount of water excreted by the body.21 Sources of caffeine include regular coffee, tea, and caffeine supplements. Ashley Baumohl, Verywell Health, 7 Oct. 2024 Which which raises an important question: what happens to them after they are excreted? Disturbingly, pharmaceutical waste and metabolites end up in the water. Grrlscientist, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024 The scientific team suspected that the shark was attacked and eaten, and the tag resumed transmission about four days later, after it was excreted. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 4 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 22 Nov. 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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