Meaning & use
excrete
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Meaning
verbtransitivetechnicalbiology
To remove waste substances from the body or from a cell as part of a normal biological process.
Grammar: Takes an object: excrete waste. Can also be used without an object when the subject is an organism: the kidneys excrete.
Patterns
- excrete something
- excrete waste
- excrete toxins
The kidneys filter the blood and excrete excess salt and water as urine.
Many plants excrete substances through their roots that affect nearby soil.
After digestion, the body excretes what it cannot use.
Word forms
| third person singular | excretes |
|---|---|
| past tense | excreted |
| past participle | excreted |
| -ing form | excreting |
Common combinations
- excrete waste
- The liver helps excrete waste products from the breakdown of medicines.
- excrete toxins
- Some bacteria excrete toxins that make people ill.
- excrete salt
- Marine birds excrete salt through special glands near their eyes.
- excrete urine
- The bladder stores urine until the body is ready to excrete it.
Synonyms and how they differ
- eliminate
- More general and less technical than excrete; it can refer to removing anything, not just bodily waste.
- discharge
- Often used for releasing a substance from a wound or organ, but it can also mean releasing someone from a job or hospital, so it is less precise.
- secrete
- Means to produce and release a useful substance such as saliva or hormones, not waste; the opposite process in biology.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: excrete or secrete?
excrete vs secrete
Secrete means to produce and release a useful substance (like hormones), while excrete means to get rid of waste. The spelling differs by one letter.
Practice
The kidneys help the body ______ excess water and salts.
Choose one answer.
Excrete means to remove waste, which fits the kidneys removing excess water and salts. Secrete means to produce a useful substance, absorb means to take in, and retain means to keep, so none of those fits the meaning of waste removal.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “excrete”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.