excurse
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excurse
- /ɪkˈskɜːs/ UK
- /ɛk-/ UK
- /ɪkˈskɜɹs/ US
- /ɛk-/ US
Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)s
Where it comes from
The noun is a learned borrowing from Latin excursus (“excursion; raid, sally, sortie”), a verbal noun from excurrō (“to run out; to sally forth”) + -sus (suffix forming verbal nouns), with the verb derived from ex- (prefix meaning ‘away; out’) + currō (“to run; to move, proceed, travel; etc.”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- (“to run”)). Doublet of excursus.
The verb is probably derived partly:
* from Latin excurs-, the perfect passive participial stem of excurrō (see above); and
* from the noun.
noun excurses · excourse
- A fuller discussion (usually in a separate section at the end of a chapter or book) of a particular part of the text of a work, especially a Bible commentary or classical Greek or Latin text. Prof. [Ernst] Kuhn shows further that the original version seems to have been better preserved in the Arabic text, at least so far as the end of the tale is concerned. In two Excurses, pp. 40–45 and 45–50, he examines the Hebrew version of [Abraham ben Samuel ha-Levi] Ibn Hisdai (c. 1250) and the Gr
- An act of departing from the main narrative in speech or writing to discuss an incidental issue; a digression. [A]fter this littel excourse, I will agayne drawe backe to mie purpose.
- An act of moving or rushing forward or out; specifically (military) an attack or incursion by troops; a foray, a sally, a sortie. [M]any other places he aſſayled and inuaded moꝛe ĩwardly [inwardly] in yͤ contrey by excourſes of his hoꝛſmen.
- A chance or way to move out from a place. In that onelie part of this ilonde even unto this presente continueth the nation of Britons, which in the beginning, havinge thether excourse owt of Fraunce, did occupie the ilonde (if they are to be credited which firmelie assevere that the firste inhabitantes of Britaine came owte of Armoricke, th
verb excurses · excursing · excursed · excourse
- To make a journey or trip, especially a brief excursion; to journey, to travel. In which of the nine hundred ſtreets—I mean lanes—of this capital of the world—for vvho can diſpute a Pariſian’s word, who never has excurſed beyond the gates?
-
To depart from the main narrative in speech or writing to discuss an incidental issue; to digress.
But hovv I excurſe!—Yet thou uſedſt to ſay, thou likedſt my excurſions. If thou doſt, thou’lt have enovv of them: For I never had a ſubject I ſo much adored; […]
Similar: excur
- To make a journey or trip to, or to pass through, (a place), especially on a brief excursion. I was delighted with Rome, and was on horseback all round it many hours daily, besides in it the rest of my time, bothering over its marvels. I excursed and skirred the country round to Alba, Tivoli, Frescati, Licenza, &c. &c.; besides, I visited twice the Fall of Terni, which beats every thing.
Talk about this word "excurse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/excurse. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. excurse. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/excurse "excurse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/excurse.Cite this
@misc{excurse_2026,
title = {excurse},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/excurse},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
