expectoration
|ɪk-spɛk-tə-reɪ-ʃən|
🇺🇸
/ɪkˌspɛk.təˈreɪ.ʃən/
🇬🇧
/ɪksˌpɛk.təˈreɪ.ʃən/
spitting out (from the chest)
Etymology
'expectoration' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'expectorare', where 'ex-' meant 'out' and 'pectus' (from which 'pector-') meant 'chest'.
'expectoration' changed from the Latin verb 'expectorare' and the Late Latin noun 'expectoratio' into Middle English (via learned borrowings), eventually becoming the modern English word 'expectoration'.
Initially, it meant 'to clear the chest by spitting or ejecting material from the chest', and over time it evolved into the current medical/formal meaning of 'the act or the material of spitting up mucus or sputum'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act of ejecting mucus, phlegm, or saliva from the throat or lungs by coughing or spitting.
The patient's expectoration increased after he began the cough medicine.
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Antonyms
Noun 2
the material expelled (sputum or phlegm) from the respiratory tract.
The laboratory analyzed the expectoration for signs of infection.
Synonyms
Noun 3
a formal term for spitting or the act of expectorating.
Public expectoration is often discouraged in many cultures.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/14 03:48