dung
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
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excrement, esp of animals; manure
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( as modifier )
dung cart
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something filthy
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dung
before 1000; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Low German, German dung; compare Icelandic dyngja heap, dung, Swedish dynga dung, muck, Old High German tunga manuring
Explanation
Dung means animal droppings or waste. If you work at an elephant sanctuary, you're likely to spend a lot of time shoveling up elephant dung. Dung is a tidy word for an untidy substance — animal poop. When farmers talk about cow dung or chicken dung, they'll probably call it manure instead. Some dung causes problems, like the runoff of pig dung into lakes and rivers, while other dung is used to help fertilize vegetable gardens. Dung is an Old English word, from a Germanic root — in Old High German, a tung was an underground room that was covered with dung for warmth.
Vocabulary lists containing dung
Metaphors from Top AP English Exam Novels
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Home of the Brave
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"Death of a Naturalist" by Seamus Heaney
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Other shops in the area attempted to fill the void, with the bookstore next to Yue Wa selling a selection of produce and Banh Mi My Dung, a sandwich shop around the corner, following suit.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025
One of the veterans, Nguyen Trung Dung, 94, said the event was a good opportunity for him to meet up with his friends, those he fought alongside in the Dien Bien Phu battle.
From Seattle Times • May 7, 2024
Mr. Trang Nakamoto and Mr. Dung Nakamoto, both from the College of Science and Engineering, contributed to the biosensor development.
From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2023
Pham Trung Kien, ex-secretary to the deputy health minister, and To Anh Dung, former deputy minister of foreign affairs, were some of the most high profile names caught up in the scandal.
From BBC • Jul. 28, 2023
“Bought it from Dung ’bout a year ago,” said Aberforth.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
