feces
See also: fèces
English
Etymology
From Latin faecēs, nominative plural of faex (“residue, dregs”), further origin unknown; possibly borrowed from a substrate language.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈfiːsiːz/
- Rhymes: -iːsiːz
Noun
feces pl (plural only) (Canada, US)
- Digested waste material (typically solid or semi-solid) discharged from a human or mammal's stomach to the intestines; excrement.
Usage notes
- This word can be used with plural verbs ("feces have a strong smell") or singular ones ("feces has a strong smell"). Use with plural verbs is more common, especially in Britain, and is the only use recognized by some dictionaries,[1] while others recognize both plural and singular use.[2]
- A singular form faex is rarely used, in some academic contexts, particularly when the spelling faeces is used for the plural.
Synonyms
- (discharged animal waste): dung, excrement, droppings, faecal matter, caca, spoor
- (discharged domestic animal waste): manure
- (discharged bird or bat waste): guano
- night soil, number two (euphemistic)
- doo, poo, poop, boo-boo, doo-doo, dookie and doody (euphemistic or hypocoristic)
- crap, shit, turd, log (vulgar)
- See also Thesaurus:feces
Translations
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References
- “feces”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
- “feces” in TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2024.
Latin
Spanish
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