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

But without treatment, cyclosporiasis symptoms can linger for more than a month, including watery bowel movements, explosive diarrhea, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. — Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 11 July 2026

Even when a person sheds the parasite through bowel movements, the parasite isn’t mature enough to infect other people immediately. — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 10 July 2026

But when your digestion slows to fewer than three bowel movements per week and your stool is hard, dry, and difficult to pass, that’s constipation. — Sarah Klein, Time, 10 July 2026

How Fiber Impacts Sleep Fiber plays many important roles in health, such as regulating blood lipid levels, promoting regular bowel movements, and fueling the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut. — Jillian Kubala, Health, 7 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bowel movement

• improvement

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