Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- a passage or quotation taken or selected from a book, document, film, or the like; extract.
verb (used with object)
- to take or select (a passage) from a book, film, or the like; extract.
- to take or select passages from (a book, film, or the like); abridge by choosing representative sections.
noun (ˈɛksɜːpt)
- a part or passage taken from a book, speech, play, etc, and considered on its own; extract
verb (ɛkˈsɜːpt)
- (tr) to take (a part or passage) from a book, speech, play, etc
early 15c. (implied in excerpte), from Latin excerptus, past participle of excerpere “pluck out, pick out, extract, excerpt,” from ex- “out” (see ex-) + carpere “pluck, gather,” from PIE *kerp- “to gather, pluck, harvest” (see harvest (n.)). Related: Excerpted; excerpting.
1630s, from Latin excerptum “an extract, selection,” noun use of neuter past participle of excerpere (see excerpt (v.)). Related: excerpts.