stool
a single seat on legs or a pedestal and without arms or a back.
a short, low support on which to stand, step, kneel, or rest the feet while sitting.
Horticulture. the stump, base, or root of a plant from which propagative organs are produced, as shoots for layering.
the base of a plant that annually produces new stems or shoots.
a cluster of shoots or stems springing up from such a base or from any root, or a single shoot or layer.
a bird fastened to a pole or perch and used as a decoy.
an artificial duck or other bird, usually made from wood, used as a decoy by hunters.
a privy.
the fecal matter evacuated at each movement of the bowels.
the sill of a window.
a bishop's seat considered as symbolic of his authority; see.
the sacred chair of certain African chiefs, symbolic of their kingship.
to put forth shoots from the base or root, as a plant; form a stool.
Slang. to turn informer; serve as a stool pigeon.
Idioms about stool
fall between two stools, to fail, through hesitation or indecision, to select either of two alternatives.
Origin of stool
1Other words from stool
- stoollike, adjective
Words Nearby stool
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use stool in a sentence
A February study of 73 patients hospitalized with the coronavirus in China’s Guangdong province found more than half tested positive for the virus in their stool.
COVID-19 infection lingers in the gut, even after it clears the respiratory system, researchers say | Claire Zillman, reporter | September 8, 2020 | FortuneSince the first weeks of the pandemic, however, scientists in China have said infectious virus in the stool of patients may also play a role in transmission.
COVID-19 infection lingers in the gut, even after it clears the respiratory system, researchers say | Claire Zillman, reporter | September 8, 2020 | FortuneThe Hong Kong scientists studied stool samples from 15 patients to better understand the virus’s activity in the gastrointestinal tract.
COVID-19 infection lingers in the gut, even after it clears the respiratory system, researchers say | Claire Zillman, reporter | September 8, 2020 | FortuneI love how the stool features a big bite of kernels missing, suggesting that it is almost too delicious to not purchase.
I needed to know more about the woman behind the corn stool, so I emailed Abi Crompton, the creative director and founder of Third Drawer.
He noticed her in the crowd while he was sitting on his stool between rounds.
The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left Behind | Brin-Jonathan Butler | December 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTFurthermore, a person with norovirus has about 70 billion viral particles per gram of stool.
A Doctor Explains Why Cruise Ships Should Be Banned | Kent Sepkowitz | November 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI try to catch the eye of this third boy, but he plops down onto a stool and avoids my gaze.
Magical Gardens for the Blind, Deaf, and Disabled | Elizabeth Picciuto | October 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTLong wisps fall across her forehead as she sits very straight on her stool, her narrow shoulder blades drawn back elegantly.
The Stacks: The Searing Story of How Murder Stalked a Tiny New York Town | E. Jean Carroll | April 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTEverman had his last drink and left for the night when a friend grabbed me by the arm, yanking me off my stool.
He Left Nirvana Because He Had Cooler Things to Do. Like Going to Iraq. | Jacob Siegel | April 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTony's stool was nearer to the bass keys of the piano, while the sofa Lettice lay upon had certainly been drawn up towards him.
The Wave | Algernon BlackwoodIf, now, the patient cough or strain as if at stool, the contents of the stomach will usually be forced out through the tube.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddWhen bleeding piles are absent, blood-streaks upon such a stool point to carcinoma.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddWhen the mucus is small in amount and intimately mixed with the stool, the trouble is probably in the small intestine.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddA Gram-positive stool due to cocci is suggestive of intestinal ulceration.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
British Dictionary definitions for stool
/ (stuːl) /
a backless seat or footrest consisting of a small flat piece of wood, etc, resting on three or four legs, a pedestal, etc
a rootstock or base of a plant, usually a woody plant, from which shoots, etc, are produced
a cluster of shoots growing from such a base
mainly US a decoy used in hunting
waste matter evacuated from the bowels
a lavatory seat
(in W Africa, esp Ghana) a chief's throne
fall between two stools
to fail through vacillation between two alternatives
to be in an unsatisfactory situation through not belonging to either of two categories or groups
(of a plant) to send up shoots from the base of the stem, rootstock, etc
to lure wildfowl with a decoy
Origin of stool
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with stool
In addition to the idiom beginning with stool
- stool pigeon
also see:
- fall between the cracks (two stools)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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