Obs. [f. late L. excarnāt- ppl. stem of excarnāre to deprive of flesh, f. ex- out + carn-em flesh.]
1. trans. To strip off or remove the flesh or fleshy parts of.
1648. Petty, Advice to Hartlib, 14. The Mate [of the Chyrurgeon] shall … excarnate bowels, artificially dry the Muscles, &c.
1693. Phil. Trans., XVII. 975. The lateral Fins of it being excarnated, are like the whole Arm.
1709. Blair, ibid. XXVII. 57. The time … was taken up in excarnating, boyling, and taking care of the Bones.
1755. in Johnson; whence in mod. Dicts.
b. with reference to plants.
1664. Evelyn, Sylva (1776), 189. If you sow them [Black Cherry stones] in beds immediately after they are excarnated.
1671. Grew, Anat. Plants, I. i. § 25 (1682), 5. This Seminal Root being so tender, cannot be perfectly excarnated … by the most accurate Hand.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Service, If they are Sown in Beds as soon as excarnated, they will appear the following Spring.
2. intr. To lose flesh, grow lean.
1740. Dyche & Pardon, Dict. (ed. 3), Excarnate, to grow lean naturally.
Hence Excarnated ppl. a., Excarnating vbl. sb.
1730–6. Bailey (folio), Excarnated, become lean, nothing but skin and bone.
1709. Blair, in Phil. Trans., XXVII. 94. A Butcher … assisted at the Excarnating of the Bones.
