* Noun: This is the most common use. It refers to a short passage taken from a longer piece of writing.
* Example: "I read an excerpt from her new novel."
* Verb: It can also be a verb meaning "to take a short passage from a longer piece of writing".
* Example: "I excerpted the most important parts of the speech."
* Adjective: While less common, "excerpt" can also be used as an adjective meaning "being a short passage from a longer piece of writing."
* Example: "The excerpt material was well-chosen."
It's important to look at the context of the sentence to determine the correct part of speech for "excerpt".