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 The snail excretes a juvenile form of the worm, which then has 24 hours to find a mammal host to infect or die, according to Dillman. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Take a peek back in time Because an adult kidney can excrete between 20-28 liters of water per day, someone would have to drink almost one full gallon of water within just a few hours to induce hyponatremia, according to a 2013 study published in the National Library of Medicine. Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2024 Patients are given a medication that binds to bismuth and is excreted in the urine. Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 For healthy adults, the body is able to excrete excess magnesium from food.2 However, too much magnesium from supplements can lead to negative side effects like cramping and diarrhea. Britannay Scanniello, Verywell Health, 1 Mar. 2024 If a person were to drink too much water, in most cases, the kidneys would excrete the excess fluid, resulting in the person urinating a lot, Kalantari said. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 18 Feb. 2024 Their main role is to filter your blood — about half a cup every minute — removing waste materials and excess fluid to be excreted as urine. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2024 If the kidneys cannot excrete the excess water, due either to a chronic condition such as kidney disease or being extremely overwhelmed, that is when problems arise and can require a trip to the hospital in critical cases. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 18 Feb. 2024 Unlike some other cannabinoids, which are stored in fat cells and eliminated slowly over time, Delta 8 THC is rapidly metabolized and excreted from the body through various means. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 7 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'excrete.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 29 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!