Excrescence
/ɪkˈskrɛs.əns/noun
An abnormal outgrowth or projecting lump; something added that is unwanted or superfluous.
Did you know?Excrescence comes from Latin excrescere, meaning “to grow out,” so the word was originally about a protruding growth rather than just a metaphor for something extra.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*krews-
“to grow, swell, or make increase”
Latin
Latin
crescere
“to grow, increase”
Latin
Latin
excrescere
“to grow out, sprout forth”
Late Latin
Latin
excrescentia
“a growth or outgrowth”
Middle French
French
excrescence
“a growth, protuberance”
16th Century
English
excrescence
“an outgrowth or superfluous growth”
Explore more surprising origins