- not including; other than除…外：
naked except for my socks
除了脚上穿的那双短袜, 我就是一丝不挂
they work every day except Sunday.
除了星期天他们每天都工作。
1
- used before a statement that forms an exception to one just made只是; 要不是：
I didn't tell him anything, except that I needed the money
我只是告诉他我需要钱; 但除此以外, 我什么也没有说
our berets were the same except mine had a leather band inside.
我们的贝雷帽是一样的, 只是我的那一只里面有一个皮革镶边。
1.1
- archaic unless〈古〉除非：
she never offered advice, except it were asked of her.
她从来不主动提建议, 除非向她讨教。
with obj.
- formal specify as not included in a category or group; exclude〈正式〉把…排除在外; 不计：
from their collective guilt I except Miss Zinkeisen alone.
我只将津克森小姐一个人排除在他们的共同罪责以外。
词源
late Middle English: from Latin except- 'taken out', from the verb excipere, from ex- 'out of'+capere 'take'.