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

The next day, meconium — a baby’s dark, sticky first bowel movement — was detected. —Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 9 Dec. 2024

Red poop describes a bowel movement that appears some shade of red, compared to the typical brown poop color. —Cristina Mutchler, Health, 5 Dec. 2024

Having a normal bowel movement after a colonoscopy can take up to two days. —Kelly Burch, Verywell Health, 4 Dec. 2024

Van Der Beek said differences in his bowel movements led him to consider diet changes to cure potential issues. —Jay Stahl, The Enquirer, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

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