Definition of ordurenext
as in dung
solid matter discharged from an animal's alimentary canal polite people do not discuss ordure in public

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ordure On the face of it, packing the ordure of millions into open-air mounds is a terrible approach to a more livable planet, particularly in a part of the world where scavengers don’t comb through them for every salable scrap. — Curbed, 12 Aug. 2022 My group first watched a video, which explained that the plant’s effluent would be released into the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, a thirty-mile-long waterway built in the late nineteenth century to rid the city of its ordure. — Elizabeth Kolbert, The New York Review of Books, 9 Feb. 2022 Poking at the ordure with a stick, Cipollone pointed out the beech mast and berries on which the bear had fed. — Christopher Preston, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2020 In gardens, the scent of frangipani carries on the damp breeze; in cities, that unmistakably Indian blend of ordure, asphalt and spice. — The Economist, 27 June 2019 Even a seemingly natural savannah, the African grasslands in the Mara-Serengeti, has benefited from the healing powers of animal ordure, produced by the livestock of human herders thousands of years ago. — Bill Andrews, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2018 At the bottom of the tube sat a half-inch of what looked like frozen mud, but was, in fact, orca ordure. — Kate Brooks, Smithsonian, 30 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ordure
Noun
  • During the first re-inspection, the inspector saw about 10 pieces of rodent dung under the air-conditioning unit, seven in the hallway by the back door and three under storage by the hallway bathroom.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
  • In southern India, for example, villagers are allowing – and even paying – herders to use their land in exchange for dung, the natural fertilizer that farmers need to produce higher-value organic crops.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Introduced crawling through the Trask family’s field, her black blood spattering their rich soil like a human pesticide, Cathy personifies the series’ potent blend of dread and beauty.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2026
  • During dry periods, soil-dwelling bacteria produce a compound called geosmin that deters insects such as fruit flies.
    — Gregory Wakeman, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Leslie Goldman, who lives near Studebaker and Stearns, said large piles of dirt — at times higher than cars — have blocked residents from crossing the street or seeing oncoming traffic.
    — Barbara Kingsley-Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • While white doors can also show scuffs and dirt more easily, the hue is timeless and pairs well with a variety of exterior fixtures and colors.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 25 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ordure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ordure. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster