excrement

noun

ex·​cre·​ment ˈek-skrə-mənt How to pronounce excrement (audio)
: waste matter discharged from the body
especially : feces
excremental adjective
excrementitious adjective

Examples of excrement in a Sentence

an ordinance that requires dog walkers to remove their animal's excrement from city streets
Recent Examples on the Web The infant was treated for dehydration, heart abnormalities due to dehydration, extreme diaper rash and skin deterioration due to being left in that car for almost three days in his own excrement. Brammhi Balarajan, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024 The guano, which is dark enough to see from space, inspired the scientists to use the streaks of excrement to track down the colonies. Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2024 As the sound of gunfire drew closer, everybody crowded into the shelter littered with trash, wasps’ nests and excrement. Isabel Kershner Amit Elkayam, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2023 The high-class avian excrement hit the fan and the Swans ejected him from their social circles. Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2024 The Spaniards who have stumbled onto Moctezuma’s court are aghast at the stench of priests covered in blood from human sacrifices, while Moctezuma’s assiduously clean courtiers complain that the men smell of excrement and dogs. Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2024 This free exchange has been at the heart of many of the industry’s issues, worsened by severe crowding that pollutes the surrounding ecosystem with excrement and other effluvia, and promotes the spread of diseases and pests like sea lice, resulting in the need for antibiotics and pesticides. Melissa Clark, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2023 Back then, the New York City streets were made of dirt, covered in horse excrement, as well as rotting garbage. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2023 In an essay in the Times, Clare Frank, a former chief of fire protection in California, cites pyrotechnics at a gender-reveal party, the smoking out of wasp nests, and campers who decided to burn their excrement as precipitants of recent wildfires. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 25 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'excrement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin excrementum, from excernere

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of excrement was in 1533

Dictionary Entries Near excrement

Cite this Entry

“Excrement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excrement. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

excrement

noun
ex·​cre·​ment ˈek-skrə-mənt How to pronounce excrement (audio)
: waste matter discharged from the body and especially from the anus

Medical Definition

excrement

noun
ex·​cre·​ment ˈek-skrə-mənt How to pronounce excrement (audio)
: waste matter discharged from the body
especially : feces
excremental adjective
excrementitious adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on excrement

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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