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 The same can be said for the fecal plugs that bears pass after hibernation. Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 29 Nov. 2023 Share [Findings] Skin swabs are three times as accurate as fecal samples at predicting a person’s age. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 Inspectors also saw animal fecal matter above the restroom’s hand-washing sink. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 23 Feb. 2024 The group tested water samples and found dangerous levels of E. coli, fecal coliform and other pollutants in Stevens Creek, Calabazas Creek, Sunnyvale East Channel and Guadalupe Slough, all of which empty into San Francisco Bay where people swim and boat. Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2024 More than 10% of fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) have unusable samples putting people at risk for missing early cancer markers.1 FIT looks for blood in the stool and is different from Cologuard, which checks for blood and DNA markers. Sherri Gordon, Health, 1 Dec. 2023 Are pollutants like chemicals and fecal bacteria swirling around? Jack Prator, Sun Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2024 But the person is still infectious and can spread the virus, potentially through fecal contamination. Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 19 Dec. 2023 Then come the gray seals, whose fecal plumes generate green algal blooms that can be seen from space. Amy Brady, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2023

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 29 Mar. 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
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