he was a great lover of music, and perhaps, had he lived in town, might have passed for a connoisseur; for he alwaysexcepted against the finest compositions of Mr Handel.
One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains. Isolating a city’s effluent and shipping it away in underground sewers has probably saved more lives than any medical procedureexcept vaccination.
Used to introduce a clause, phrase, verb infinitive, adverb or other non-noun complement forming an exception or qualification to something previously stated.
You look a bit like my sister,except (that) she has longer hair.
"I don't want to spoil any comparison you are going to make," said Jim, "but I was at Winchester and New College." ¶ "That will do," said Mackenzie. "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal.[…]."
Mother[…]considered that the exclusiveness of Peter's circle was due not to its distinction, but to the fact that it was an inner Babylon of prodigality and whoredom, from which every Kensingtonian held aloof,except on the conventional tip-and-run excursions in pursuit of shopping, tea and theatres.
(informal)Loosely, used to introduce a contrastive statement explaining why something wasn't successful, didn't happen, etc.
They fired tear gas at us,except the wind was blowing the wrong way.
I almost walked out,except I remembered the promise I had made.
(archaic)Unless; used to introduce a hypothetical case in which an exception may exist.
If I ſay ſooth, I muſt report they were / As Cannons ouer-charg'd with double Cracks, / So they doubly redoubled ſtroakes vpon the Foe: /Except they meant to bathe in reeking Wounds, / Or memorize anotherGolgotha, / I cannot tell: but I am faint, / My Gaſhes cry for helpe.
