expectorate
verb
ex·pec·to·rate
ik-ˈspek-tə-ˌrāt 
expectorated; expectorating
1
: to discharge matter from the throat or lungs by coughing or hawking and spitting
2
: spit
Examples of expectorate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For expectorating adults looking down, a guard may block big droplets but work less well for shorter persons, like children.
—
San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2024
Place used clothing in hampers; blow your nose in a tissue; clear your throat and expectorate to remove mucus, which may contain particles inhaled in a lab; place glasses in the decontaminating solution for three minutes; take a full-body shower.
—Amy Barth, Discover Magazine, 24 Sep. 2012
Places where people might need to talk loudly, sing, or otherwise expectorate without a mask are seen as riskier than those where everyone can easily wear a mask at all times.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2020
Of course, there’s never been any such game where players young and old didn’t expectorate freely.
—Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 8 May 2020
When Andrei blasts Matvey with a shotgun, blowing apart one of his sofa cushions, which in turn expectorates a bunch of American dollars, those deeper motives becomes obvious.
—Glenn Kenny, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2020
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San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2024
Place used clothing in hampers; blow your nose in a tissue; clear your throat and expectorate to remove mucus, which may contain particles inhaled in a lab; place glasses in the decontaminating solution for three minutes; take a full-body shower.
—Amy Barth, Discover Magazine, 24 Sep. 2012
Places where people might need to talk loudly, sing, or otherwise expectorate without a mask are seen as riskier than those where everyone can easily wear a mask at all times.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2020
Of course, there’s never been any such game where players young and old didn’t expectorate freely.
—Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 8 May 2020
When Andrei blasts Matvey with a shotgun, blowing apart one of his sofa cushions, which in turn expectorates a bunch of American dollars, those deeper motives becomes obvious.
—Glenn Kenny, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Expectorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expectorate. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
expectorate
verb
ex·pec·to·rate
ik-ˈspek-tə-ˌrāt
expectorated; expectorating
: to discharge (as phlegm) from the throat or lungs by coughing and spitting
also
: spit entry 2 sense 1a
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