fecal

adjective

fe·​cal ˈfē-kəl How to pronounce fecal (audio)
: of, relating to, or constituting feces

Examples of fecal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web When these tissues are stretched and weakened, urinary and fecal incontinence can result. Linda Carroll, NBC News, 9 Mar. 2024 Inspectors also shut down International Catering Bon, after discovering roaches, animal fecal matter and other violations. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 1 Mar. 2024 Enterococci are bacteria found in the gut of warm-blooded animals, including humans, and can indicate that fecal matter is present in water. Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2023 The virus is spread through fecal matter and vomit particles. Rachel Murphy, Verywell Health, 5 Apr. 2024 Some mid-study results drew fierce backlash in 2019 when news reports misconstrued a statistic showing 91% of a sample of contaminated wells contained fecal matter. Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024 One reason children get it more often is that coming into contact with fecal matter puts one at risk for the disease, and kids tend to touch poop more than adults do. Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024 Share [Findings] Skin swabs are three times as accurate as fecal samples at predicting a person’s age. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024 Rake up bird seed, hulls and fecal matter beneath feeders two or more times a week. USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fecal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1541, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fecal was in 1541

Dictionary Entries Near fecal

Cite this Entry

“Fecal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fecal. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

Medical Definition

fecal

adjective
fe·​cal
variants or chiefly British faecal
: of, relating to, or constituting feces
fecal incontinence
fecal matter
fecally adverb
or chiefly British faecally

More from Merriam-Webster on fecal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!