Part 940

Ex*punge" (ks*pnj"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Expunged (- pnjd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Expunging (- pn"jng).] [L. expungere, expunctum, prick out, expunge, settle an account, execute; ex out + pungere to prick, puncture. See Pungent.] 1. To blot out, as with pen; to rub out; to efface designedly; to obliterate; to strike out wholly; as, to expunge words, lines, or sentences.

2. To strike out; to wipe out or destroy; to annihilate; as, to expunge an offense. Sandys.

Expunge the whole, or lop th' excrescent parts.

Pope.

Syn. -- To efface; erase; obliterate; strike out; destroy; annihilate; cancel.

Ex"pur*gate (ks"pr*gt or ks*pûr"gt; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Expurgated (- g"td); p. pr. & vb. n. Expurgating (-g"tng).] [L. expurgatus, p. p. of expurgare to purge, purify; ex out, from + purgare to cleanse, purify, purge. See Purge, and cf. Spurge.] To purify; to clear from anything noxious, offensive, or erroneous; to cleanse; to purge; as, to expurgate a book.

Ex`pur*ga"tion (?), n. [L. expurgatio justification, excuse: cf. F. expurgation.] The act of expurgating, purging, or cleansing; purification from anything noxious, offensive, sinful, or erroneous. Milton.

Ex"pur*ga`tor (?; 277), n. One who expurgates or purifies.

Ex*pur`ga*to"ri*al (?), a. Tending or serving to expurgate; expurgatory. Milman.

Ex*pur`ga*to"ri*ous (?), a. Expurgatory. [Obs.] "Expurgatorious indexes." Milton.

Ex*pur"ga*to*ry (?), a. [Cf. F. expurgatoire.] Serving to purify from anything noxious or erroneous; cleansing; purifying. "Expurgatory animadversions." Sir T. Browne.

Expurgatory Index. See Index Expurgatorius, under Index.

Ex*purge" (?), v. t. [Cf. OF. espurgier. See Expurgate.] To purge away. [Obs.] Milton.

Ex*quire" (?), v. t. [L. exquirere. See Exquisite.] To search into or out. [Obs.] Chapman.

Ex"qui*site (?), a. [L. exquisitus, p. p. of exquirere to search out; ex out + quarere to seek, search. See Quest.] 1. Carefully selected or sought out; hence, of distinguishing and surpassing quality; exceedingly nice; delightfully excellent; giving rare satisfaction; as, exquisite workmanship.

Plate of rare device, and jewels Of reach and exquisite form.

Shak.

I have no exquisite reason for 't, but I have reason good enough.

Shak.

2. Exceeding; extreme; keen; -- used in a bad or a good sense; as, exquisite pain or pleasure.

3. Of delicate perception or close and accurate discrimination; not easy to satisfy; exact; nice; fastidious; as, exquisite judgment, taste, or discernment.

His books of Oriental languages, wherein he was exquisite.

Fuller.

Syn. -- Nice; delicate; exact; refined; choice; rare; matchless; consummate; perfect.

Ex"qui*site, n. One who manifests an exquisite attention to external appearance; one who is overnice in dress or ornament; a fop; a dandy.

Ex"qui*site*ly, adv. In an exquisite manner or degree; as, lace exquisitely wrought.

To a sensitive observer there was something exquisitely painful in it.

Hawthorne.