Definition

Noun: An organ that separates waste substances from the blood and discharges them from the body.

Usage

This is a biological and anatomical term. It refers to a specific part of an organism's body with the primary function of removing metabolic waste. * The kidneys are a vital excretory organ in vertebrates. * In humans, the skin also acts as a minor excretory organ through sweat.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in a comparative biological context to discuss different waste-removal systems across species.
  • Malpighian tubules serve as the excretory organ in insects.

Variants and Related Words

• Excretory system (n): The collective system of organs that perform excretion.
  • The urinary system is a major component of the human excretory system.
• Excrete (v): To separate and expel waste matter.
• Excretion (n): The process of removing waste products from the body.

Synonyms

• Emunctory (n, formal/archaic): A duct or organ that carries waste out of the body.

Different Meanings / Contexts

This term has a single, specific meaning in biological science. It does not have common idiomatic or figurative uses.

Noun

1. an organ that separates waste substances from the blood and discharges them