Meaning & use
defecate
Last updated
UK/ˈdefəkeɪt/
US/ˈdefəkeɪt/
Meaning
verbintransitivemedicalformal
To pass solid waste out of the body through the bowels.
Grammar: No object: patients are asked when they last defecated.
Patterns
- defecate in/on something
The nurse asked whether the patient had defecated since the operation.
Dogs must not defecate on the playground.
Some birds defecate while flying, which spreads the seeds.
Word forms
| third person singular | defecates |
|---|---|
| past tense and past participle | defecated |
| present participle | defecating |
Common combinations
- urinate and defecate
- Pets were trained not to urinate and defecate indoors.
- unable to defecate
- The child was unable to defecate for several days.
- urge to defecate
- A sudden urge to defecate can be a sign of an infection.
- open defecation
- The charity builds toilets to end open defecation.
- defecate outdoors
- Campers should bury waste if they defecate outdoors.
Synonyms and how they differ
- poop
- Poop is informal and childlike, used at home or with children, while defecate is neutral and clinical.
- excrete
- Excrete is broader, covering waste of any kind, such as sweat, while defecate means only solid waste from the bowels.
- evacuate
- Evacuate, used in medicine, is a more technical term that means emptying the bowels.
- have a bowel movement
- This phrase is a polite medical euphemism that avoids the direct verb.
Word family
Commonly confused: defecate or defecate vs. defect?
defecate vs defecate vs. defect
A defect is a flaw or fault, or to leave a country or group; defecate refers only to passing waste.
Practice
A doctor would most likely write which sentence in a patient's chart?
Choose one answer.
Defecated is the neutral clinical verb for medical records. The other options are casual or euphemistic.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “defecate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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