defecate

verb

def·​e·​cate ˈde-fi-ˌkāt How to pronounce defecate (audio)
defecated; defecating

intransitive verb

: to discharge feces from the bowels

transitive verb

1
: to discharge from the anus
2
: to free from impurity or corruption

Examples of defecate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Senators walked across the Capitol — which four years ago had filled with roaming rioters, some defecating and menacingly calling out for leaders, others engaging in hand-to-hand combat with police — to the House to begin certifying the vote. Matt Brown, Twin Cities, 7 Jan. 2025 The suit alleged children were held in isolation — sometimes for weeks at a time — and forced to eat, sleep and defecate in their cells. Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 20 Dec. 2024 New details have come to light in a Louisville Metro police investigation into incidents of a man defecating on the front porch of an Old Louisville home multiple times. Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 6 Sep. 2024 Addressing issues around dogs defecating in public will inherently require a different solution from bites or barking, for instance, says Krithika Srinivasan, a professor of political ecology at the University of Edinburgh. Sam Delgado, Vox, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for defecate 

Word History

Etymology

Latin defaecatus, past participle of defaecare, from de- + faec-, faex dregs, lees

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of defecate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near defecate

Cite this Entry

“Defecate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defecate. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

defecate

verb
def·​e·​cate ˈdef-i-ˌkāt How to pronounce defecate (audio)
defecated; defecating
: to expel feces from the bowels
defecation noun

Medical Definition

defecate

verb
def·​e·​cate
variants or chiefly British defaecate
defecated; defecating

transitive verb

: to discharge from the anus

intransitive verb

: to discharge feces from the bowels

More from Merriam-Webster on defecate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!