scatology

noun

sca·​tol·​o·​gy ska-ˈtä-lə-jē How to pronounce scatology (audio)
skə-
1
: interest in or treatment of obscene matters especially in literature
2
: the biologically oriented study of excrement (as for taxonomic purposes or for the determination of diet)
scatological adjective

Examples of scatology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web His mind swirled with scatology and characters from pulp fiction and the cinema. Washington Post, 2 Dec. 2021 But the show’s linguistic ingenuity extends well beyond scatology. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scatology.' 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

Greek skat-, skōr excrement; akin to Old English scearn dung, Latin muscerdae mouse droppings

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scatology was in 1876

Dictionary Entries Near scatology

Cite this Entry

“Scatology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scatology. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

scatology

noun
sca·​tol·​o·​gy ska-ˈtäl-ə-jē, skə- How to pronounce scatology (audio)
plural scatologies
1
: interest in or treatment of obscene matters especially in literature
2
: the biologically oriented study of excrement (as for taxonomic purposes or for the determination of diet)
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