expectorate

verb
UK: /ɪkˈspektəreɪt/
US: /ɪkˈspektəreɪt/

  1. To cough up and spit out phlegm or other substance from the throat or lungs.

    1. He had to expectorate because of a bad cough.
    2. The doctor told him to expectorate into a cup so they could analyze the mucus.

Synonyms

eject cough up spit hawk discharge
expectorate noun

  1. The act of coughing up and spitting out phlegm or other substance.

    1. The expectorate was examined in the lab.
    2. The doctor asked for a sample of his expectorate.
expectorate adjective

  1. Relating to or promoting the discharge or expulsion of mucus or other fluids from the lungs or trachea.

    1. The medicine has an expectorate action.
    2. The expectorate properties of the herb are well-known.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "expectorate" is /ɪkˈspektəreɪt/ in British English and /ɪkˈspektəreɪt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "expectorate": eject, cough up, spit, hawk, discharge.

Example usage of "expectorate": "He had to expectorate because of a bad cough.". More examples on the page.