King James Bible Dictionary

EXCEPT', verb transitive [Latin excipio; ex and capio, to take. See Caption, Capture.]

1. To take or leave out of any number specified; to exclude; as, of the thirty persons present and concerned in a riot, we must except two.

2. To take or leave out any particular or particulars, from a general description.

When he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted who did put all things under him. 1 Corinthians 14:5.

EXCEPT', verb intransitive To object; to make an objection or objections; usually followed by to; sometimes by against. I except to a witness, or to his testimony, on account of his interest or partiality.

EXCEPT', participle passive Contracted from excepted. Taken out; not included. All were involved in this affair, except one; that is, one excepted, the case absolute or independent clause. except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish; that is, except this fact, that ye repent, or this fact being excepted, removed, taken away, ye shall all likewise perish. Or except may be considered as the imperative mode. except thou or ye, this fact, ye shall all likewise perish. Hence except is equivalent to without, unless, and denotes exclusion.

EXCEPT'ED, participle passive [See Except.]

EXCEPT'ING, participle present tense Taking or leaving out; excluding.

1. This word is also used in the sense of except, as above explained. The prisoners were all condemned, except in three. This is an anomalous use of the word, unless, in some cases, it may be referred to a pronoun. Excepted would be better: three excepted; three being excepted.

EXCEP'TION, noun The act of excepting, or excluding from a number designated, or from a description; exclusion. All the representatives voted for the bill, with the exception of five. All the land is in tillage, with an exception of two acres.

1. Exclusion from what is comprehended in a general rule or proposition.

2. That which is excepted, excluded, or separated from others in a general description; the person or thing specified as distinct or not included. Almost every general rule has its exceptions.

3. An objection; that which is or may be offered in opposition to a rule, proposition, statement or allegation; with to; sometimes with against. He made some exceptions to the argument.

4. Objection with dislike; offense; slight anger or resentment; with at, to or against, and commonly used with take; as, to take exception at a severe remark; to take exception to what was said.

Roderigo, thou hast taken against me an exception

But it is more generally followed by at.

5. In law, the denial of what is alleged and considered as valid by the other party, either in point of law or in pleading; or an allegation against the sufficiency of an answer. In law, it is a stop or stay to an action, and it is either dilatory or peremptory.

6. A saving clause in a writing.

Bill of exceptions, in law, is a statement of exceptions to evidence, filed by the party, and which the judge must sign or seal.

EXCEP'TIONABLE, adjective Liable to objection.

This passage I look upon to be the most exceptionable in the whole poem.

EXCEP'TIOUS, adjective Peevish; disposed or apt to cavil, or take exceptions. [Little used.]

EXCEP'TIOUSNESS, noun Disposition to cavil.

EXCEPT'IVE, adjective Including an exception; as an exceptive preposition.

1. Making or being an exception.

EXCEPT'LESS, adjective Omitting all exception. [Not in use.]

EXCEPT'OR, noun One who objects, or makes exceptions.