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View synonyms for

excretion

1

[ ik-skree-shuhn ]

noun

  1. the act of excreting.
  2. the substance excreted, as urine or sweat, or certain plant products.


excretion

2

[ ik-skree-shuhn ]

noun

  1. the state of being excrescent.
  2. an excrescence.

excretion

  1. 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.
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Word History and Origins

Origin of excretion1

1595–1605; < Late Latin 泦ŧپō- (stem of 泦ŧپō ) that which is sifted out. See excrete, -ion

Origin of excretion2

1605–15; < Late Latin 泦ŧپō- (stem of 泦ŧپō ), equivalent to Latin 泦ŧ ( us ) (past participle of 泦ŧ; ex- 1, crescent ) + ō- -ion
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Humans treat our waste excretion as an intensely private experience.

From

Saad Bhamla, an assistant professor in the School of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, and his research group hoped for an opportunity to study a cicada's fluid excretion.

From

Dr. Bhamla said there was quite a lot of room for future research in the area of drip or flush excretions.

From

That may not seem like a big deal to us, but it was startling in creatures that seem to have no control over their excretions.

From

For more than three decades, thiazide diuretics, a common medication used for high blood pressure, have been the standard of care for kidney stone prevention because they reduce the excretion of urinary calcium.

From

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excreteexcretory