expectorate

See also: expektorate

English

WOTD – 22 September 2006

Etymology

From Latin expectorātus, past participle of expectorō ((only figurative) banish from the mind; (post-classical) expel from the breast)), from ex (out of) + pectus (the breast).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɪkˈspɛktəɹeɪt/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Verb

expectorate (third-person singular simple present expectorates, present participle expectorating, simple past and past participle expectorated)

  1. (ambitransitive) To cough up fluid from the lungs.
    (Can we add an example for this sense?)
  2. (ambitransitive) To spit.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Further reading

Spanish

Verb

expectorate

  1. second-person singular voseo imperative of expectorar combined with te