excern

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin excernō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪkˈsɜː(ɹ)n/

Verb

excern (third-person singular simple present excerns, present participle excerning, simple past and past participle excerned)

1. (archaic) excrete; give off
   • 1631, Francis [Bacon], “(please specify |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:

     That which is dead, or corrupted; or excerned, hath antipathy with the same thing when it is alive and sound, and with those parts which do excern.

   • 1691, John Ray, The wisdom of God manifested in the works of the creation:

     An unguent or pap prepared, with an open vessel to excern it into.

Related terms

• excrete