expectoration
expectoration — noun
1. the medical act of forcing thick fluid up from the chest by coughing, and then s
the medical act of forcing thick fluid up from the chest by coughing, and then spitting it from the mouth.
The chest doctor asked Kemi about the colour and amount of her morning expectoration.
medical context: clinician asking patient about expectoration
Heavy expectoration during the night kept Allison awake and worried her parents.
subject of clause; refers to repeated coughing-up over a period
After two weeks of treatment, Joon's expectoration became clear instead of green.
Nurses on the ward record each patient's expectoration in a chart every shift.
Smoking for thirty years had left Ada with daily expectoration she could not stop.
- sputum
names the substance brought up; expectoration names the act of bringing it up
- coughing up
everyday phrase covering the same action, no medical register
用法筆記
Almost only found in medical or clinical writing; everyday speakers say 'coughing up phlegm'. Uncountable — no plural 'expectorations' in standard medical usage.
常見錯誤
expectoration — verb
1. to bring fluid such as mucus or blood up from your chest by coughing, and to spi
to bring fluid such as mucus or blood up from your chest by coughing, and to spit it out of your mouth.
The nurse asked Alessia to expectorate into a small plastic cup for the lab test.
expectorate into + container; clinical sample-collection pattern
Shanti found it painful to expectorate after her chest surgery and needed help.
intransitive use; medical recovery context
Walid expectorated thick yellow mucus every morning for a week before seeing a doctor.
Patients are asked not to expectorate on the hospital floor at any time.
Sivan was relieved when her father could finally expectorate without sharp chest pain.
- swallow
opposite direction — taking matter down rather than bringing it up and out
文法句型
expectorate + noun (mucus, blood)
expectorate into + container
用法筆記
Used almost only by doctors, nurses, and in medical writing; in normal conversation people say 'cough up' or 'spit out'. Distinguish from the bare verb 'spit' — 'expectorate' specifically implies that the matter has been brought up from the lungs or throat first.