2. That which is offered as a reason for being excused; a plea offered in extenuation of a fault or irregular
deportment; apology; as, an excuse for neglect of duty; excuses for delay of payment.
Hence with denial vain and coy excuse.
Milton. 3. That which excuses; that which extenuates or justifies a fault. "It hath the excuse of youth." Shak.
If eyes were made for seeing.
Then beauty is its own excuse for being.
Emerson. Syn. — See Apology.
Excuseless
(Ex*cuse"less), a. Having no excuse; not admitting of excuse or apology. Whillock.
Excusement
(Ex*cuse"ment) n. [Cf. OF. excusement.] Excuse. [Obs.] Gower.
Excuser
(Ex*cus"er) n.
1. One who offers excuses or pleads in extenuation of the fault of another. Swift.
2. One who excuses or forgives another. Shelton.
Excuss
(Ex*cuss") v. t. [L. excussus. p. p. of excutere to shake off; ex out, from + quatere to shake.
Cf. Quash.]
1. To shake off; to discard. [R.]
To excuss the notation of a Geity out of their minds.
Bp. Stillingfleet. 2. To inspect; to investigate; to decipher. [R.]
To take some pains in excusing some old monuments.
F. Junius 3. To seize and detain by law, as goods. [Obs.] Ayliffe.
Excussion
(Ex*cus"sion) n. [L. excussio a shaking down; LL., a threshing of corn: cf. F. excussion.]
The act of excusing; seizure by law. [Obs.] Ayliffe.
Exeat
(||Ex"e*at) n. [L., let him go forth.]
1. A license for absence from a college or a religious house. [Eng.] Shipley.
2. A permission which a bishop grants to a priest to go out of his diocese. Wharton.
Execrable
(Ex"e*cra*ble) a. [L. execrabilis, exsecrabilis: cf. F. exécrable. See Execrate.] Deserving
to be execrated; accursed; damnable; detestable; abominable; as, an execrable wretch. "Execrable pride."
Hooker.
— Ex"e*cra*ble*ness, n. — Ex"e*cra*bly, adv.
Execrate
(Ex"e*crate) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Execrated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Execrating ] [L. execratus,
exsecratus, p. p. of execrare, exsecrare, to execrate; ex out + sacer holy, sacred. See Sacred.] To
denounce evil against, or to imprecate evil upon; to curse; to protest against as unholy or detestable; hence,
to detest utterly; to abhor; to abominate. "They . . . execrate their lct." Cowper.
Execration
(Ex`e*cra"tion) n. [L. execratio, exsecratio: cf. F. exécration.]
