guano

noun

gua·​no ˈgwä-(ˌ)nō How to pronounce guano (audio)
: a fertilizer containing the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats
broadly : excrement especially of seabirds or bats

Examples of guano in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
If excluding the bats is a DIY job, clean up the roosting area afterwards so that guano doesn’t attract other pests such as cockroaches and flies. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025 All that airborne guano is nature’s marine fertilizer, and scientists have been vastly underestimating how much seabird poop is actually fertilizing our oceans and coastlines. Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025 Bat droppings: Also known as guano, these small, dark pellets can be found in windowsills, porches, or the attic. Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Aug. 2025 Penguin poop, also known as guano, is notoriously smelly. Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for guano

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Quechua wanu fertilizer, dung

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of guano was in 1604

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Cite this Entry

“Guano.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guano. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

guano

noun
gua·​no ˈgwän-ō How to pronounce guano (audio)
: a substance composed chiefly of the excrement of seabirds or bats and used as a fertilizer

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