excrement

noun

ex·​cre·​ment ˈek-skrə-mənt 

: waste matter discharged from the body

especially : feces

excremental

ˌek-skrə-ˈmen-tᵊl 

adjective

excrementitious

ˌek-skrə-ˌmen-ˈti-shəs 

-mən-

adjective

Synonyms

• dirt
• doo-doo
• dropping
• dung
• excreta
• feces
• ordure
• poop
• scat
• slops
• soil
• waste

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

My father was living alone in that dark, filthy room like an old animal wallowing in its own excrement. —Lee Chang-Dong, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2024

The rich sat on deck while the poor were squeezed in the hold below, with no place to relieve themselves, so excrement, vomit, and other wastes flowed down into the lower areas. —Lauren Vuong, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2025

Researchers fed the fish, and their excrement provided nutrients to the plants. —Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Mar. 2025

The virus is typically transmitted through rodent excrement. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin excrementum, from excernere

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

excrement

noun

ex·​cre·​ment ˈek-skrə-mənt 

: waste matter discharged from the body and especially from the anus

Medical Definition

excrement

noun

ex·​cre·​ment ˈek-skrə-mənt 

: waste matter discharged from the body

especially : feces

excremental

ˌek-skrə-ˈment-ᵊl 

adjective

excrementitious

-ˌmen-ˈtish-əs 

adjective