What does excising mean?
"Excising" is the present participle of the verb "to excise," which means to cut out or remove something completely, whether through surgical intervention or careful deletion. In medicine, excising refers to the surgical removal of tissue, a tumour, or other growth, typically using a scalpel or similar instrument. In editing and writing, it describes the deliberate removal of passages, words, or sections from a document. The word carries a connotation of precision and thoroughness — whatever is being excised is being removed entirely rather than merely trimmed. Derived from the Latin "excidere" (to cut out), it shares its root with related terms like "incision" and "precise." While formal in tone, the term appears regularly in both clinical reports and editorial discussions. It should not be confused with the identically spelled noun "excise," which denotes a type of domestic tax on manufactured goods.
verb (present participle/gerund)The act or process of cutting out or removing something, especially by surgery or deliberate removal from text.
- To cut out or remove surgically, especially tissue or a growth.
- To remove or delete text, content, or material from a document or work.
"The surgeon was excising the tumour with great precision."
"The surgeon recommended excising the cyst before it grew larger."
"The editor insisted on excising several paragraphs that were libellous."
When surgeons 'excise' a tumour, they're using a word whose Latin ancestor literally meant 'to cut out' — the same cutting root that gives us scissors-like precision in 'concise' and 'incision'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of excising
"Excising" derives from the Latin "excidere," formed from "ex-" (out) and "caedere" (to cut), entering English via the verb "excise" around the early 16th century. The same Latin root "caedere" underlies words such as "incision," "concise," "precise," and "circumcise," all carrying some sense of cutting. The noun "excision" followed shortly after as the corresponding action noun.
Related word forms
How excising is actually used
Formal register; common in medical writing and editorial contexts. In British English, 'tumour' spelling is standard alongside this term; in American English, 'tumor' prevails.
Easily confused with excising
Exercise means physical or mental activity for training, while excising means cutting out or removing something.
The noun 'excise' refers to an internal tax on goods manufactured or sold within a country, unrelated to the verb meaning to cut out.