Definition

The act of coughing up and spitting out mucus or phlegm from the throat or lungs.

Example

The doctor asked about the patient's expectoration to understand their respiratory condition.

Conversation

I heard that expectoration can be a sign of a cold.

Yeah, it usually means your body is trying to clear out mucus.

That's what I thought! I had a lot of expectoration last week.

Same here, but it went away after a few days, thankfully.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Expectoration → It is formed from "ex-" (meaning out) and "pectus" (meaning chest). The word refers to the act of expelling matter from the chest, particularly mucus or phlegm, through coughing.

Memory Tip

Think of 'expelling' something 'out' ('ex-') from the 'chest' ('pectus') — that's why expectoration means to cough something out.

Visually Confused Words