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ex·pur·gate

(ĕkspər-gāt′)

tr.v. ex·pur·gat·ed, ex·pur·gat·ing, ex·pur·gates

To remove erroneous, vulgar, obscene, or otherwise objectionable material from (a book, for example) before publication.

[Latin expūrgāre, expūrgāt-, to purify : ex-, intensive pref.; see EX- + pūrgāre, to cleanse; see peuə- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

ex′pur·gation n.

expur·ga′tor n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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