ENGLISH
REFERENCE

excerpt

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɛksɝpt// UK //ɛksˈɜːpt// ex·cerpt

n. a short piece of writing, music, or film taken from a longer work. You use it to show a small part of a book or movie to someone else.

n. a short extract from a film, broadcast, or piece of music or writing. Refers to a segment selected for separate publication or performance.


SIMPLE

She read a short excerpt from her new book.

CONTEXTUAL

The teacher handed out an excerpt from the novel so the students could analyze the author's style.

COMPLEX

While the full documentary spans three hours, this five-minute excerpt provides a comprehensive overview of the director's primary arguments regarding urban planning.

Synonyms
Origin

From Latin excerptus, past participle of excerpere (“to pick out”), from ex (“out”) + carpere (“to pick, pluck”).

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'from' to indicate the source material.

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