guano

noun

gua·​no ˈgwä-(ˌ)nō 

: a fertilizer containing the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats

broadly : excrement especially of seabirds or bats

Examples of guano in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Although primarily related to bird guano and agriculture rather than bat guano and gunpowder, the Guano Islands Act highlighted just how strategically important guano had become in American history. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025

Per Live Science, the case highlights the importance of raising awareness of the danger of using bat guano as a fertilizer. —Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 17 Dec. 2024

In Antarctica, the birds’ nutrient-rich guano allows mosses and other organisms to flourish in an otherwise inhospitable place. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2025

The bats live above the gym bleachers in a small utility closet, where the floor is covered in guano. —Emily Schwing, NPR, 4 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Quechua wanu fertilizer, dung

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for guano

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau

Kids Definition

guano

noun

gua·​no ˈgwän-ō 

: a substance composed chiefly of the excrement of seabirds or bats and used as a fertilizer