expiscatev.
/ɛkˈspɪskeɪt/ a. transitive. To ‘fish out’; hence, to find out by scrutiny. Occasionally with sentence as object. Chiefly in Scottish writers; elsewhere usually humorously, with distinct reference to the etymology.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > discovery > find out, discover [verb (transitive)]
seeOE
fanda1000
finda1200
kenc1330
lenda1350
agropea1393
contrive1393
to find outc1405
outsearch?a1439
ripec1440
inventc1475
disclose?a1500
fish1531
agnize?1570
discover1585
to grope out1590
out-find1590
expiscate1598
vent1611
to learn out1629
to get to know1643
develop1653
ascertain1794
stag1796
root1866
to get a line on1903
establish1919
1598 G. Chapman tr. Homer Seauen Bks. Iliades vi. 102 O friends remaines not one, That will..mixe..With their outguards, expiscating if their renownde extreame, They force on vs wil serue their turnes?
1721 R. Wodrow Hist. Sufferings Church of Scotl. iii. vii. §3 This Method was fallen upon to expiscate Matter of Criminal Process.
1830 J. Galt Lawrie Todd I. iii. xii. 270 I just propounded the project that I might expiscate some kind of satisfaction to my curiosity.
1831 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. May To Correspondents Should we observe any farther impertinence on his part, we shall expiscate it.
1847 H. Miller First Impressions Eng. xvii. 315 The evidence already expiscated on this point.
1864 D. W. Thompson Day Dreams of Schoolmaster (ed. 2) iv. 38 Have they ever expiscated one intelligible reason?
b. To exhaust of fish.Apparently an isolated use.
ΚΠ
1858 Sat. Rev. 5 569/1 Norway is nearly expiscated.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
<
v.1598