stool

1 of 2

noun

ˈstül 

1

a

: a seat usually without back or arms supported by three or four legs or by a central pedestal

b

: a low bench or portable support for the feet or knees : footstool

2

: a seat used as a symbol of office or authority

also : the rank, dignity, office, or rule of a chieftain

3

a

: a discharge of fecal matter

b

: a seat used while defecating or urinating

4

a

: a stump or group of stumps of a tree especially when producing suckers

b

: a plant crown from which shoots grow out

c

: a shoot or growth from a stool

5

: stool pigeon sense 1

stool

2 of 2

verb

stooled; stooling; stools

intransitive verb

: to throw out shoots in the manner of a stool

Examples of stool in a Sentence

Noun

She sat on a stool.

The patient had bloody stools.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

When the last note echoed out, and Lee, sitting on a stool, posed with their head down and arm jutted out toward the crowd, they were received with something more striking than cheers and claps. —Piet Levy, Journal Sentinel, 4 May 2024

The team initially took stool samples and assessed the severity of the participants’ IBS systems at the end of the two months. —Novella Lui, Health, 3 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English stōl; akin to Old High German stuol chair, Old Church Slavonic stolŭ seat, throne

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1770, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing stool

• cucking stool
• cutty stool
• ducking stool
• step stool
• stool pigeon

Kids Definition

stool

noun

ˈstül

1

a

: a seat without back or arms supported by three or four legs or by a central post

b

: footstool

2

a

: a seat used while urinating or having a bowel movement

b

: a mass of bodily waste discharged from the intestine in a bowel movement

Medical Definition

stool

noun

ˈstül 

: a discharge of fecal matter