bowel movement

noun

plural bowel movements

: an act of passing usually solid waste through the rectum and anus

He had a two-day history of right lower abdominal pain … without bowel movements.

—William W. Scott, Jr. et al.

also : fecal matter expelled at one passage : stool sense 3a

Cats get infected from contact with other cats' bowel movements or by predation.

—Donald Caslow

Examples of bowel movement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Magnesium hydroxide is a saline laxative (a type of osmotic laxative) that improves bowel movements. —Alex Yampolsky, Verywell Health, 8 May 2025

These changes can often disrupt your normal bowel movements, leading to constipation or diarrhea.1 Constipation causes trouble passing hard, dry stool. —Sarah Hudgens, Health, 6 May 2025

Low-normal: This was less than a daily bowel movement, ranging from three to six times per week. —Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025

Treatment methods focus on alleviating constipation and restoring normal bowel movements. —Cristina Mutchler, Health, 24 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bowel movement

• improvement

Kids Definition

bowel movement

noun

: an act of passing usually solid waste through the rectum and anus

also : fecal matter expelled at one passage : stool

Medical Definition

bowel movement

noun

: an act of passing usually solid waste through the rectum and anus