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 Back in the ninth and 10th centuries, Nordic travelers started using farm animal excrement as a replacement for firewood when resources grew scarce. Claire Volkman, Vogue, 16 Nov. 2023 The author is something of a whale scat specialist, having spent 20 years collecting their excrement. Amy Brady, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2023 Instead of bailing out factory farms and paying to clean up their mess, including animal carcasses, excrement, and other waste, public funds should support sustainable farmers who grow food that nourishes their communities. Gene Baur, Fortune, 21 July 2023 The symbolism is as dense as the feathers: the birds captive but free, looking like doves but actually a more humble species, their individual houses carefully made but covered in excrement, their window letting in chilly light but obscuring the outside world. Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 18 July 2023 Guards hosing down the walls of a prison, after protesting inmates have smeared it with excrement. James Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2023 Fleas and lice transmit the bacteria that causes typhus when the bugs defecate upon biting and the excrement infects the wound. Maia Pandey, NBC News, 28 July 2023 His task was to search the ground carefully for carcasses amid layers of excrement as the birds pecked frantically at his hands and feet. Hannah Dreier Meridith Kohut, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023 Constant pointed to issues the neighborhoods around Sullivan Arena shelter have seen, such as trash, excrement on streets and crime. Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Aug. 2023 See More

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 3 Dec. 2023.

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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