bowel movement

noun

plural bowel movements

: an act of passing usually solid waste through the rectum and anus

He had a two-day history of right lower abdominal pain … without bowel movements.

—William W. Scott, Jr. et al.

also : fecal matter expelled at one passage : stool sense 3a

Cats get infected from contact with other cats' bowel movements or by predation.

—Donald Caslow

Examples of bowel movement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Still, there’s plenty of nuance surrounding healthy bowel movements. —Anisa Arsenault, Verywell Health, 22 July 2024

It is found in the first bowel movement a newborn baby makes after birth. —Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2024

Another study found that participants with functional constipation improved their number of bowel movements, stool consistency, and quality of life by taking agave fructans on their own or combined with maltodextrin. —Isabel Vasquez Rd Ldn, Health, 17 July 2024

In the study, people who reported eating a fiber-rich diet, staying hydrated and exercising regularly tended to have healthier bowel movement frequency. —Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, 16 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

bowel movement

noun

: an act of passing usually solid waste through the rectum and anus

also : fecal matter expelled at one passage : stool

Medical Definition

bowel movement

noun

: an act of passing usually solid waste through the rectum and anus