pos>n. [ L. excubatio, fr. excubare to lie out on guard; ex out on guard; ex out + cubare to lie down. ] A keeping watch. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ LL. excubitorium; ex out + cubare, cubitum, to lie. ] (Eccl. Antiq.) A gallery in a church, where persons watched all night. [ 1913 Webster ]

Capable of being exculpated; deserving exculpation. Sir G. Buck. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Exculpated p. pr. & vb. n.. Exculpating (&unr_;). ] [ L. ex out + culpatus, p. p. of culpare to find fault with, to blame, culpa fault. See Culpable. ] To clear from alleged fault or guilt; to prove to be guiltless; to relieve of blame; to acquit. [ 1913 Webster ]

He exculpated himself from being the author of the heroic epistle. Mason. [ 1913 Webster ]

I exculpate him further for his writing against me. Milman.

Syn. -- To exonerate; absolve; clear; acquit; excuse; vindicate; justify. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. freed from any question of guilt; having suspicion of guilt eliminated.
Syn. -- absolved, cleared, exonerated, vindicated. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. [ Cf. LL. exculpatio. ] The act of exculpating from alleged fault or crime; that which exculpates; excuse. [ 1913 Webster ]

These robbers, however, were men who might have made out a strong case in exculpation of themselves. Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

Clearing, or tending to clear, from alleged fault or guilt; excusing. “An exculpatory letter.” Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>v. i. [ L. excurrere. See Excurrent. ] To run out or forth; to extend. [ Obs. ] Harvey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. excurrens, p. p. of excurrere, excursum, to run out; ex out + currere to run. See Current. ] 1. Running or flowing out; as: (Bot.) Running or extending out; as, an excurrent midrib, one which projects beyond the apex of a leaf; an excurrent steam or trunk, one which continues to the top. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zoöl.) Characterized by a current which flows outward; as, an excurrent orifice or tube. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ See excurrent. ] To journey or pass thought. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

[ L. excursio: cf. F. excursion. See Excurrent. ] 1. A running or going out or forth; an expedition; a sally. [ 1913 Webster ]

Far on excursion toward the gates of hell. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

They would make excursions and waste the country. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A journey chiefly for recreation; a pleasure trip; a brief tour; as, an excursion into the country. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A wandering from a subject; digression. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am not in a scribbling mood, and shall therefore make no excursions. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mach.) Length of stroke, as of a piston; stroke. [ An awkward use of the word. ]

Syn. -- Journey; tour; ramble; jaunt. See Journey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who goes on an excursion, or pleasure trip. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Prone to make excursions; wandering; roving; exploring; as, an excursive fancy. [ 1913 Webster ]

The course of excursive . . . understandings. I. Taylor.

-- Ex*cur"sive*ly, adv. -- Ex*cur"sive*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., fr. excurrere, excursum. See Excurrent. ] A dissertation or digression appended to a work, and containing a more extended exposition of some important point or topic. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>a. [ L. excusabilis: cf. F. excusable. See Excuse. ] That may be excused, forgiven, justified, or acquitted of blame; pardonable; as, the man is excusable; an excusable action. -- Ex*cus"a*ble*ness, n. -- Ex*cus"a*bly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

The excusableness of my dissatisfaction. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. excusatio: cf. F. excusation. ] Excuse; apology. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ] One who makes, or is authorized to make, an excuse; an apologist. [ Obs. ] Hume. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Making or containing excuse or apology; apologetical; as, an excusatory plea. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Excused p. pr. & vb. n. Excusing. ] [ OE. escusen, cusen, OF. escuser, excuser, F. excuser, fr. L. excusare; ex out + causa cause, causari to plead. See Cause. ] 1. To free from accusation, or the imputation of fault or blame; to clear from guilt; to release from a charge; to justify by extenuating a fault; to exculpate; to absolve; to acquit. [ 1913 Webster ]

A man's persuasion that a thing is duty, will not excuse him from guilt in practicing it, if really and indeed it be against Gog's law. Abp. Sharp. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To pardon, as a fault; to forgive entirely, or to admit to be little censurable, and to overlook; as, we excuse irregular conduct, when extraordinary circumstances appear to justify it. [ 1913 Webster ]

I must excuse what can not be amended. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To regard with indulgence; to view leniently or to overlook; to pardon. [ 1913 Webster ]

And in our own (excuse some courtly stains.)
No whiter page than Addison remains. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To free from an impending obligation or duty; hence, to disengage; to dispense with; to release by favor; also, to remit by favor; not to exact; as, to excuse a forfeiture. [ 1913 Webster ]

I pray thee have me excused. xiv. 19. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon or indulgence for. [ 1913 Webster ]

Think ye that we excuse ourselves to you? 2 Cor. xii. 19.

Syn. -- To vindicate; exculpate; absolve; acquit. - To Pardon, Excuse, Forgive. A superior pardons as an act of mercy or generosity; either a superior or an equal excuses. A crime, great fault, or a grave offence, as one against law or morals, may be pardoned; a small fault, such as a failure in social or conventional obligations, slight omissions or neglects may be excused. Forgive relates to offenses against one's self, and punishment foregone; as, to forgive injuries or one who has injured us; to pardon grave offenses, crimes, and criminals; to excuse an act of forgetfulness, an unintentional offense. Pardon is also a word of courtesy employed in the sense of excuse. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. excuse. See Excuse, v. t. ] 1. The act of excusing, apologizing, exculpating, pardoning, releasing, and the like; acquittal; release; absolution; justification; extenuation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pleading so wisely in excuse of it. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hence with denial vain and coy excuse. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which excuses; that which extenuates or justifies a fault. “It hath the excuse of youth.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

If eyes were made for seeing.
Then beauty is its own excuse for being. Emerson.

Syn. -- See Apology. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having no excuse; not admitting of excuse or apology. Whillock. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. excusement. ] Excuse. [ Obs. ] Gower. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who offers excuses or pleads in extenuation of the fault of another. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who excuses or forgives another. Shelton. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

To excuss the notation of a Geity out of their minds. Bp. Stillingfleet. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To inspect; to investigate; to decipher. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

To take some pains in excusing some old monuments. F. Junius (1654). [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To seize and detain by law, as goods. [ Obs. ] Ayliffe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. excussio a shaking down; LL., a threshing of corn: cf. F. excussion. ] The act of excusing; seizure by law. [ Obs. ] Ayliffe. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. inexcusabilis: cf. F. inexcusable. See Excuse. ] Not excusable; not admitting excuse or justification; as, inexcusable folly. [ 1913 Webster ]

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest; for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. Rom. ii. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being inexcusable; enormity beyond forgiveness. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. With a degree of guilt or folly beyond excuse or justification. [ 1913 Webster ]

Inexcusably obstinate and perverse. Jortin. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Inexcusable. Hayward. -- Un`ex*cus"a*ble*ness, n. [1913 Webster]