encopresis

American

[en-kuh-pree-sis] / ˌɛn kəˈpri sɪs /

noun

Psychiatry.

plural

encopreses

involuntary defecation.

encopresis British

/ ˌɛnkəʊˈpriːsɪs, ˌɛnkəʊˈprɛtɪk /

noun

involuntary discharge of faeces, esp when associated with psychiatric disturbance

"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

encopretic adjective

Etymology

Origin of encopresis

< New Latin < Greek en- en- ² + kópr ( os ) dung + -esis, as in enuresis

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.

Her son is 15, regularly needs to visit medical specialists and takes several medications for a condition known as fecal incontinence or encopresis.

From New York Times

In extreme cases, children can develop what is called encopresis, when liquid stool leaks out around the hard, impacted stuff clogging up the colon.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023