Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - except

~1 conjunction 1 except for a) apart from  (Except for one old lady, the bus was empty. | The roads were clear except for a few cars.) b) except for John/her/me etc leaving out or not including John, her etc  (The children are all asleep except for Lorna.) c) if someone or something had not happened or existed  (Nina would have left him years ago except for the children.) 2 except do sth apart from doing something  (Tom does everything around the house except cook. | a computer that can do everything except talk) 3 spoken but  (I'd love to go, except it's too expensive. | It doesn't matter that I had to wait, except you did say four o'clock.) ~2 prep used to introduce the only thing or person in a group about which a statement is not true  (Everyone except Adam went to the concert. | You can have any of the cakes except this one. | We're open every day except Monday.) + in/to/up etc  (I can take my vacation at any time except in August. | Peter's not going anywhere except to work.) + (that)  (The house was just as I left it except that everything was covered with dust. | I've got one exactly the same except it's silver.) + what/how/why etc  (I don't know anything about the case except what I read in the newspaper.) except by doing sth  (You can't get credit except by making special arrangements with the management.) ~3 v T + from formal to not include something when you are talking about or considering a number or group of things