night soil

noun

1. human excrement collected and used as fertilizer.

night soil

noun

1. human excrement collected at night from cesspools, privies, etc, and sometimes used as a fertilizer

Word History and Origins

Origin of night soil¹

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

This strategy became necessary after an errant tomato plant sprouted from a visitor's night soil back in the 1960s.

From Scientific American

Often in exchange for a fee paid to each household, farmers collected what was called night soil at regular intervals to fashion into fertile compost.

From Salon

In Japan, by contrast, where land was less fertile, humanure or “night soil” was so highly valued that when the price soared disputes broke out over who had the right to collect it.

From The Guardian

In Osaka, writes Lina Zeldovich, where boats came to the city to collect night soil, “landlords had the rights to their tenants’ solid waste.”

From The Guardian

At the bottom were night soil workers and other “untouchables.”

From New York Times

Related Words

• dung
• feces
• manure
• poop