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What is excretion?

excretion

 [ik-skree-shuhn]   Example Sentences Origin

ex·cre·tion

1   [ik-skree-shuhn]
noun
1.
the act of excreting.
2.
the substance excreted, as urine or sweat, or certain plant products.
Origin:
1595–1605; < Late Latin excrētiōn- (stem of excrētiō) that which is sifted out. See excrete, -ion

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Excretion is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
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Example Sentences
  • The condition may also develop in people who take drugs that interfere with uric acid excretion.
  • Influence of frequent and long-term consumption of legume seeds on excretion of intestinal gases.
  • Nikbert offered an interesting anecdote and all you could respond with was an excretion of digestive gases.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged

ex·cre·tion

2   [ik-skree-shuhn]
noun
1.
the state of being excrescent.
2.
an excrescence.
Origin:
1605–15; < Late Latin excrētiōn- (stem of excrētiō), equivalent to Latin excrēt(us) (past participle of excrēscere; see ex-1, crescent) + iōn- -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
excrete (ɪkˈskriːt)
 
—vb
1.  to discharge (waste matter, such as urine, sweat, carbon dioxide, or faeces) from the body through the kidneys, skin, lungs, bowels, etc
2.  (of plants) to eliminate (waste matter, such as carbon dioxide and salts) through the leaves, roots, etc
 
[C17: from Latin excernere to separate, discharge, from cernere to sift]
 
ex'creter
 
—n
 
ex'cretion
 
—n
 
ex'cretive
 
—adj
 
ex'cretory
 
—adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

excretion
c.1600, from L. excretus, pp. of excernere "to discharge" (see excrement).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

excretion ex·cre·tion (ĭk-skrē'shən)
n.

  1. The act or process of discharging waste matter from the blood, tissues, or organs.

  2. The matter, such as urine, feces, or sweat, that is so excreted.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
excretion   (ĭk-skrē'shən)  Pronunciation Key 
The elimination by an organism of waste products that result from metabolic processes. In plants, waste is minimal and is eliminated primarily by diffusion to the outside environment. Animals have specific organs of excretion. In vertebrates, the kidney filters blood, conserving water and producing urea and other waste products in the form of urine. The urine is then passed through the ureters to the bladder and discharged through the urethra. The skin and lungs, which eliminate carbon dioxide, are also excretory organs.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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