fecula

[fek-yuh-luh]

noun, plural fec·u·lae [fek-yuh-lee] /ˈfɛk yəˌli/.

fecal matter, especially of insects.

foul or muddy matter; dregs.

Nearby words

Origin of fecula

< Latin faecula burnt tartar, dried lees of wine, equivalent to faec- (stem of faex; see feces) + -ula -ule

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fecula

Fecula, fek′ū-la, n. starch obtained as a sediment by breaking down certain plants or seeds in water.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M)|Various
By means of a rose, c, water is sprinkled over the entire surface of the sieve and separates the fecula from the fibrous matter.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 415, December 15, 1883|Various
This mixture should be constantly stirred as otherwise the fecula will sink to the bottom.
A Practical Handbook on the Distillation of Alcohol from Farm Products|F. B. Wright
It approaches more nearly to potato starch than to any other fecula, but its particles are larger.
The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom|P. L. Simmonds

This fecula hangs together in chains, quite unlike the ordinary appearance of arrowroot when seen under the microscope.
The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom|P. L. Simmonds

British Dictionary definitions for fecula

fecula

noun plural -lae (-ˌliː)

starch obtained by washing the crushed parts of plants, such as the potato

faecal material, esp of insects

Word Origin for fecula

C17: from Latin: burnt tartar, appearing as a crust in wine, from faex sediment

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