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Meaning & use

exudate

noun·Advancedtechnicalmedical

Last updated

UK/ˈeksjʊdeɪt/
US/ˈeksjuːdeɪt/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable or uncountablemedical

    Fluid that slowly leaks from damaged or inflamed body tissue, such as from a wound or infection.

    Grammar: Can be uncountable in general use or countable for types: wound exudate, clear exudates.

    Patterns

    • exudate from something

    The nurse noted a yellow exudate on the dressing.

    Clear exudate is normal during the early stages of healing.

    The swab picked up exudate from the infected area.

  2. nouncountable or uncountablebiology

    A sticky liquid or substance that a plant releases, such as sap or resin.

    Grammar: A botany use; often named by plant: pine exudate.

    Patterns

    • exudate from something

    The tree sealed the cut with a sticky exudate.

    Ants gather the sweet exudate from the leaves.

    Scientists collected exudate from the root tips.

Word forms

pluralexudates

Common combinations

wound exudate
The dressing absorbs wound exudate.
purulent exudate
A purulent exudate may signal infection.
clear exudate
A small amount of clear exudate is expected.
root exudate
Root exudate feeds bacteria around the plant.
collect exudate
The lab collected exudate for testing.

Synonyms and how they differ

discharge
Discharge is a plain word for any fluid released from the body, while exudate is a specific medical term for fluid seeping from tissue.
ooze
Ooze is informal and stresses the slow flow, whereas exudate names the fluid itself.
secretion
A secretion is produced on purpose by a gland, while an exudate leaks out of damaged tissue.
pus
Pus is only one type of exudate, thick and containing dead cells.

Word family

exude verb
to slowly flow out, or to show a quality strongly
exudation noun
the process of fluid slowly leaking out
exudative adjective
producing or relating to exudate
transudate noun
a thin fluid that passes through a membrane without inflammation

Commonly confused: exudate or extrudate?

exudate vs extrudate

Extrudate is material pushed through a die in manufacturing, while exudate is fluid leaking from tissue.

Practice

The nurse changed the dressing because it was soaked with ____ from the wound.

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