Exsert

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɪkˈsɜː(ɹ)t/

Definitions

1. To push forth or extend beyond a boundary or surface
2. To protrude or emerge from within, creating a noticeable effect
3. To extend itself outward beyond an edge or boundary ; to visibly stick out from a surrounding surface or structure

Etymology: "Exsert" is a verb meaning to stick out or extend beyond an edge, and it comes from Latin "exsertus," the past participle of "exserō," meaning "to stretch out or forth." That Latin verb is built from "ex-" ("out") and "serere," "to join or put in a row," so its core picture is of something pushed or thrust out from a place where it was held in. Its closest relative in English is "exert," which comes from the same Latin verb. The two words are a pair of doublets: both descend from "exserere," but "exert" took the sense of pushing one's strength or effort outward, while "exsert" kept the more literal, physical idea of projecting out of a surface or enclosure. Botanists and anatomists use "exserted" for stamens or other parts that protrude beyond the petals or surrounding structure, which is the sense the word has retained most vividly.

Synonyms: protrude, extend, project, emerge, stick out

Antonyms: retract, sink, withdraw, submerge, hide