v. Obs. [f. L. excuss- ppl. stem of excutĕre, f. ex- out + quatĕre to shake; the vb. had also the sense of searching a person by shaking his loose robe. Cf. sense 2.]
1. trans. To shake off, cast off, get rid of. Said with reference to things material and immaterial.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 239. To brush over their Horses with a little linnen instrument made like a sword, whereby they excusse all dust from the beast. Ibid., Serpents (1653), 603. Snakes with tender skin excuss’d their years enlarge.
1657. Tomlinson, Renou’s Disp., 164*. That the exteriour shell, and all glumosity may be excussed.
1662. Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., I. i. § 12. They could not totally excuss the notions of a deity out of their minds.
1668. Howe, Bless. Righteous (1825), 119. The holy soul’s release … will excuss and shake off this drowsy sleep.
2. To shake out the contents of anything; hence, to investigate thoroughly, discuss (a question or document); also, to get (the truth) from (a person).
1570. Foxe, A. & M. (ed. 2), 689. If I should … take in hand your Popishe portues and … excusse euery Popishe martyr and sancte there canonised.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 496. Saint Augustine doth more fully excusse and handle this argument.
1579. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 59. I then excussid the matter.
1654. F. Junius, Lett. to J. Selden, 8 May, in Antiq. Lit., xliii. (Webster, 1864). To take some pains in excussing some old Francick monuments.
1726. Ayliffe, Parergon, 438. To examine a Delinquent on Oath to excuss the Truth of some Crime from him.
3. Mod. Civ. Law. [Cf. OF. escosser, escousser, ‘saisir, dépouiller’ (Godef.).] To seize, take in execution (a debtor’s goods).
1726. Ayliffe, Parergon, 272. For the Person of a Man ought not by the Civil-Law to be taken for a Debt, unless his Goods and Estate has been first excuss’d.
1755. in Johnson; whence in mod. Dicts.
