Dictionary

expectorate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ɪkˈspɛktəɹeɪt/

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”).

Meanings

1. (ambitransitive) To cough up fluid from the lungs.
   • …the gap in his upper row of teeth enabled him to expectorate in a new and admirable way. 1876, Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Chapter VI):
   • These rules are equally applicable to pneumonia and perhaps also to bronchitis. It will, therefore, be best to call them, not rules for consumptives, but for all persons who cough and expectorate . 1893, Popular Science Monthly (ed.), Popular Science Monthly, Vol. 42 (Jan 1893) — Notes:
2. (ambitransitive) To spit.

Forms

Deriveds

unexpectorated · expectorative · expectorator

Relateds

expectorant · sputum · expectoration

Translations (33)

pt expectorar (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · pl wykrztuszać (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · is hósta (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · pl odpluwać (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · vi khạc đờm (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · ba ҡаҡырыу (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · gl esgarrar (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · ru ха́ркать (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · fi yskiä (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · es expectorar (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · ru отка́шливать (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · bg изкашлям (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · fr expectorer (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · gl expectorar (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · is hósta upp (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · cs vykašlat (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · tr balgam atmak (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · ru ха́ркнуть (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · hu kiköhög (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · ca expectorar (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · hu felkrákog (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · it espettorare (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · bg изхрачвам (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · pl wykrztusić (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · pl odplunąć (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · ru отха́ркивать (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · vi khạc (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · hy խորխել (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · pl odkasłać (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · hu felköhög (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · mk иска́шлува (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · pl odkasływać (to cough up fluid from the lungs) · vi nhổ (to cough up fluid from the lungs)