excreta

American

[ik-skree-tuh] / ɪkˈskri tə /

noun

(usually used with a plural verb)

excreted matter, as urine, feces, or sweat.

excreta British

/ ɪkˈskriːtə /

plural noun

waste matter, such as urine, faeces, or sweat, discharged from the body; excrement

"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

excretal adjective

Etymology

Origin of excreta

1855–60; < Latin excrēta things sifted out or separated, neuter plural of excrētus; excrete

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.

Plus, excreta is a lagging indicator, so it’s doubly difficult to connect the dots.

From The Wall Street Journal

The team collected excreta samples daily during the entire experimental period and analyzed DNA to identify bacteria present.

From Science Daily

Nitrogen, which is vital for plant growth, is present in animal excreta and synthetic fertilisers that are applied to land to boost crop production.

From Science Daily

Outbreaks are sporadic and previous infections in South Asia were traced to consumption of items contaminated with bat excreta.

From Reuters

Outbreaks are sporadic and previous infections in South Asia have occurred when people drank date-palm sap contaminated with bat excreta.

From Reuters

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