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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:

The goal is to determine the normal range of flatus production among people in the United States over the age of 18.

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

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

Each day, up to 1500 mL of flatus is produced in the colon.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

If the gangrenous portion be very full of fæces or flatus, incisions may be made into it.

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

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