Standard Lemma guide

excrete

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /ɛkˈskɹiːt/
  • UK, US: /ɪkˈskɹiːt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːt
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 K S K R IY1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To discharge material (including waste products) from a cell, body or system.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

Examples

  • Your open pores excrete sweat and dirt.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

eliminate from the body

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Pass a kidney stone

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: egest, eliminate, pass

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: exhaust, discharge, expel, eject, release

Narrower terms: sweat, sudate, perspire, exude, exudate, transude, ooze out, ooze, make, urinate, piddle, puddle, micturate, piss, pee, pee-pee, make water, relieve oneself, take a leak, spend a penny, wee, wee-wee, pass water, evacuate, void, empty, stool, defecate, shit, take a shit, take a crap, ca-ca, crap, vomit, vomit up, purge, cast, sick, cat, be sick, disgorge, regorge, retch, puke, barf, spew, spue, chuck, upchuck, honk, regurgitate, throw up

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin excrētum, past participle of excernō, from ex- (“out”), and cernō (“separate”).

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أَفْرَزَ (ʔafraza) — to discharge material
  • Bulgarian: отделям (otdeljam) — to discharge material
  • Catalan: excretar — to discharge material
  • Chinese: 排泄 (páixiè) — to discharge material
  • Czech: vylučovat — to discharge material
  • Czech: vyměšovat — to discharge material
  • Dutch: afscheiden — to discharge material
  • Finnish: erittää — to discharge material
  • Finnish: ulostaa (to defecate) — to discharge material
  • French: excréter — to discharge material
  • German: ausscheiden — to discharge material
  • Greek: εκκρίνει (ekkrínei) — to discharge material
  • Hungarian: kiválaszt — to discharge material
  • Italian: espellere — to discharge material
  • Japanese: 排泄する (haisetsusuru) — to discharge material
  • Māori: whakatikotiko — to discharge material
  • Māori: tukupara — to discharge material
  • Polish: wydalać — to discharge material
  • Polish: wydalić — to discharge material
  • Polish: wydzielać — to discharge material
  • Polish: wydzielić — to discharge material
  • Portuguese: excretar — to discharge material
  • Romanian: a excreta — to discharge material
  • Romanian: a elimina — to discharge material
  • Russian: выделя́ть (vydeljátʹ) — to discharge material
  • Spanish: excretar — to discharge material
  • Tetum: tee — to discharge material
  • Turkish: salgılamak — to discharge material
  • Turkish: boşaltmak — to discharge material
  • Welsh: ysgarthu — to discharge material