excrement

[ ek-skruh-muhnt ]

noun

1. waste matter discharged from the body, especially feces.

excrement

/ ˌɛkskrɪmɛnˈtɪʃəs; ˈɛkskrɪmənt; ˌɛkskrɪˈmɛntəl /

noun

1. waste matter discharged from the body, esp faeces; excreta

Derived Forms

• excremental, adjective

Other Words From

• ex·cre·men·tous [ek-skr, uh, -, men, -t, uh, s], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of excrement¹

1525–35; < Latin excrēmentum, equivalent to excrē- (perfect stem of excernere to excrete ) + -mentum -ment

Word History and Origins

Origin of excrement¹

C16: from Latin excrēmentum, from excernere to sift, excrete

Example Sentences

Public housing complexes reported overflowing toilets, soiled sheets, and trash dumpsters full of human excrement that piled up during the weeks before regular garbage pickup resumed within city limits.

From Slate

I applaud her effort to reach Fox voters and I find Baier’s disingenuous question more campaign manure that shouldn’t be spread – after all too many are eager to lap it up as if it were filet instead of excrement.

From Salon

“Human excrement can take over a year to decompose in the desert environment of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Now imagine the impact of 500,000 to a million people pooping in a fairly limited desert area over the course of a year.”

From Los Angeles Times

He said campfires on dry ground were dangerous and campers often left litter and human excrement.

From BBC

The family had been living in squalor, surrounded by rubbish and human excrement, before the tragedy, the trial had heard.

From BBC

Related Words

• droppings
• dung
• feces
• manure
• urine