Excretarse

Excretarse is the reflexive form of the Spanish verb excretar, which means to excrete or to expel waste from an organism. In contemporary Spanish, excretarse is rarely used; most authors prefer excretar with a direct object (for example, “el cuerpo excreta toxinas”) or impersonal constructions such as se excretan or se excretó. When the reflexive form appears, it is typically in technical, historical, or highly specialized texts and is often considered obscure or marked. The reflexive usage can emphasize that the subject performs the excretion as part of its own physiological process, but it is not common in everyday language.

Etymology and development: excretar comes from Latin excretare, from ex- “out” plus cernere “to separate.” The noun excreta refers to the substances expelled from an organism, and excreción (or excreción) designates the act or process of excretion. In biology and medicine, excretion encompasses the elimination of various waste products through organs such as the kidneys, skin, lungs, and digestive tract.

Usage notes: For most purposes, prefer excretar or the passive/intensive impersonal constructions se excretan, se excretó, etc., to convey the idea of elimination of waste. The reflexive excretarse is not typical for describing voluntary acts like urination or defecation in standard Spanish; those actions are usually expressed with more common verbs such as orinarse, defecarse, or simply excretar with a direct object or passive voice.

See also: excreción, excreta, excretor, excreta (plural), defecación, secreción.