Hypertext Webster Gateway: "expletive"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Expletive \Ex"ple*tive\, a. [L. expletivus, from expletus, p. p.
of explere to fill up; ex out+plere to fill, akin to plenus
full: cf. F. expl['e]tif. See {Full}.]
Filling up; hence, added merely for the purpose of filling
up; superfluous. ``Expletive imagery.'' --Hallam.

Expletive phrases to plump his speech. --Barrow.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Expletive \Ex"ple*tive\, n.
A word, letter, or syllable not necessary to the sense, but
inserted to fill a vacancy; an oath.

While explectives their feeble aid to join, And ten low
words oft creep in one dull line. --Pope.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

expletive
n 1: profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger;
"expletives were deleted" [syn: {curse}, {curse word}, {oath},
{swearing}, {swearword}, {cuss}]
2: a word or phrase conveying no independent meaning but added
to fill out a sentence or metrical line


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