Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Modern space toilets were not available during the Apollo missions, so those crews used a plastic bag to collect their fecal waste.—Greta Cross, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026 The animals underwent vaccinations, fecal testing and received flea prevention treatment as part of the intake process, according to Macomb County Animal Control staff.—Eric Henderson, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026 There was no plumbing backup, of course — there is no actual plumbing on the Orion spacecraft, as urine is vented out into space and fecal matter is collected for later disposal.—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026 The toilet would still have been used for fecal collection.—Denise Chow, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fecal
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Medieval Latin faecālis, from Latin faec-, faex "wine lees, tartar, dregs" (Medieval Latin also "excrement") + -ālis-al entry 1