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Showing results for flatus. Search instead for elatus.
Synonyms

flatus

American  
[fley-tuhs] / ˈfleɪ təs /

noun

flatuses plural
  1. intestinal gas produced by bacterial action on waste matter in the intestines and composed primarily of hydrogen sulfide and varying amounts of methane.


flatus British  
/ ˈfleɪtəs /

noun

  1. gas generated in the alimentary canal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of flatus

1660–70; < New Latin; Latin: a blowing, breathing, breath, equivalent to flā ( re ) to blow + -tus suffix of v. action

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.

See Examples For:

Hydrogen is generated exclusively by microbes living in the gut, so continuously measuring hydrogen in flatus provides a direct signal of microbial fermentation activity as gut bacteria break down food components.

From Science Daily Mar. 14, 2026

The extreme concentration of hydrogen in a flatus does make it easier to detect with a tiny sensor.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 20, 2026

Not to mention the distinctive smell of feces and flatus, i.e., farts.

From Salon May 31, 2025

M Gove has promised to phase out diesel- and petrol-driven cars by 2040, a tiny flatus puff in a vast tornado, 22 years of slow death away.

From The Guardian Jun. 3, 2018

This is especially the case where much flatus is generated, or where the patient is naturally stout.

From A Manual of the Operations of Surgery For the Use of Senior Students, House Surgeons, and Junior Practitioners by Bell, Joseph

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