excrescence (redirected from excrescences)

ex·cres·cence  (k-skrsns)

n.

1. An outgrowth or enlargement, especially an abnormal one, such as a wart.

2. A usually unwanted or unnecessary accretion: "Independent agencies were an excrescence on the Constitution" (Los Angeles Times).

---

[Middle English, from Latin excrscentia, from neuter pl. of excrscns, excrscent-, present participle of excrscere, to grow out : ex-, ex- + crscere, to grow; see ker-² in Indo-European roots.]

---

excrescence

Noun

something that protrudes, esp. an outgrowth from a part of the body [Latin excrescrere to grow out]

excrescent adj

---

excrescence

1. a normal outgrowth of the body, as hair, fingernails.
2. an abnormal outgrowth, as a corn, wart, etc. — excrescent, adj.

See also: Body, Human

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	excrescence - something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from its surroundings; "the gun in his pocket made an obvious bulge"; "the hump of a camel"; "he stood on the rocky prominence"; "the occipital protuberance was well developed"; "the bony excrescence between its horns" extrusion, gibbosity, gibbousness, hump, jut, bulge, protrusion, protuberance, swelling, bump, prominence frontal eminence - either prominence of the frontal bone above each orbit occipital protuberance - prominence on the outer surface of the occipital bone belly - a part that bulges deeply; "the belly of a sail" caput - a headlike protuberance on an organ or structure; "the caput humeri is the head of the humerus which fits into a cavity in the scapula" mogul - a bump on a ski slope nub, nubble - a small lump or protuberance snag - a sharp protuberance wart - any small rounded protuberance (as on certain plants or animals) projection - any solid convex shape that juts out from something
	2.	excrescence - (pathology) an abnormal outgrowth or enlargement of some part of the body appendage, outgrowth, process - a natural prolongation or projection from a part of an organism either animal or plant; "a bony process" vegetation - an abnormal growth or excrescence (especially a warty excrescence on the valves of the heart) pathology - the branch of medical science that studies the causes and nature and effects of diseases growth - (pathology) an abnormal proliferation of tissue (as in a tumor)