Standard Lemma guide

expectoration

noun · 4 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

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  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən

1

noun

Meaning 1

The action of expectorating, of ejecting phlegm or mucus from the throat or lungs by coughing, hawking, or spitting.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: medicine, physiology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

That which is expectorated, as phlegm or mucus.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: medicine, physiology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the act of spitting (forcefully expelling saliva)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: spit, spitting

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: expulsion, projection, ejection, forcing out

4

noun

Meaning 4

the process of coughing up and spitting out

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: bodily process, body process, bodily function, activity

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bashkir: ҡаҡырыу (qaqırıw) — the act
  • Bulgarian: откашляне (otkašljane) — the act
  • Catalan: expectoració — the act
  • Finnish: yskösten irtoaminen — the act
  • French: expectoration — the act
  • Galician: expectoración — the act
  • German: Expektoration — the act
  • Icelandic: hræking — the act
  • Italian: espettorazione — the act
  • Japanese: 喀痰 (kakutan) — the act
  • Japanese: 去痰 (kyotan) — the act
  • Māori: wharonga — the act
  • Polish: odkrztuszanie — the act
  • Portuguese: expectoração — the act
  • Romanian: expectorație — the act
  • Romanian: expectorare — the act
  • Russian: отха́ркивание (otxárkivanije) — the act
  • Russian: отка́шливание (otkášlivanije) — the act
  • Spanish: expectoración — the act
  • Bashkir: ҡаҡырыҡ (qaqırıq) — that which is expectorated
  • Bulgarian: храчка (hračka) — that which is expectorated
  • Finnish: yskös — that which is expectorated
  • French: expectoration — that which is expectorated
  • Galician: expectoración — that which is expectorated
  • German: Expektoration — that which is expectorated
  • German: Auswurf — that which is expectorated
  • Ancient Greek: χρέμμα (khrémma) — that which is expectorated
  • Icelandic: uppgangur — that which is expectorated
  • Icelandic: hráki — that which is expectorated
  • Japanese: 喀痰 (kakutan) — that which is expectorated
  • Māori: wharo — that which is expectorated
  • Polish: plwocina — that which is expectorated
  • Romanian: expectorație — that which is expectorated
  • Russian: мокрота́ (mokrotá) — that which is expectorated
  • Spanish: expectoración — that which is expectorated
  • Telugu: కఫము (kaphamu) — that which is expectorated