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 In one of the movie’s most outrageous scenes, the Sasquatch brood gets upset and starts throwing its excrement. USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024 Those hoping to climb Everest this year will have to make some slight adjustments to their packing list, as new rules now mandate that climbers bring their excrement down with them from the world’s highest peak, in a bid to tackle pollution. Amy Woodyatt, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024 Giraffes at least keep the water sports to themselves; their slovenly, muck-loving neighbors, on the other hand, spread the excrement far and wide. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024 These dark marks, scientists determined, were accumulations of excrement — signs of life. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2024 The workers slept right here, among piles of excrement dredged up from the darkness. Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Ecologists have been concerned that the highly territorial animals, which can weigh up to 3 tonnes, are altering the composition of Colombia’s main river with their excrement, and are outcompeting other species, such as the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), for habitat and resources. Nature Magazine, Scientific American, 13 Nov. 2023 The economy is in deep decline, the cost of living has spiraled, and public services are collapsing—water deregulation has left Britain swimming in a moat of its own excrement. Peter Guest, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024 Ancient excrement found in waste piles below where the houses would have stood showed that the community kept dogs that fed on scraps from their owners’ meals. Katie Hunt, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024

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 25 Apr. 2024.

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

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