verb
excise
EK-syze/ɛksˈaɪs/
To remove by cutting out.
The woman excises the damaged patch from the cloth, leaving an opening.
Etymology
Here “out” gives cutting its direction: something is cut away from the whole. The modern removal sense preserves that concrete image directly.
In context
you are my phantom limb. I cut you off, but I still feel you there. No holy sanctum knows that I excise you.
More examples
- The dermatologist excised the mole under local anesthesia.
- The editor excises a repetitive paragraph from the draft.
- Several scenes were excised from the final script.
Forms
excise · excises · excised · excising
excision noun — The removal of something by cutting.
Similar words
- remove
- Broader: taking something away, not necessarily by cutting.
- resect
- Specifically surgical: cutting out part or all of tissue.