From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishexpletiveex‧ple‧tive /ɪkˈspliːtɪv $ ˈeksplətɪv/ noun [countable] formalSWEAR a rude word that you use when you are angry or in pain, for example ‘shit’ SYN swear word
Examples from the Corpus
expletive• Aimless minutes of hand wringing and expletives, followed by resignation.• He smoked and drank heavily, and his language was rich in expletives even when mixing with senior diplomats and politicians.• Back in the paddock he was greeted by a stream of expletives.• The youth obliged, adding a further string of expletives, just for good measure.• There followed a groan of pain and a whole string of expletives.Origin expletive (1600-1700) Late Latin expletivus, from Latin explere “to fill out”; because the words fill a space in a sentence without adding to the meaning 