guano
Americannoun
-
guanos
plural
-
a natural manure composed chiefly of the excrement of sea birds, found especially on islands near the Peruvian coast.
-
any similar substance, as an artificial fertilizer made from fish.
noun
-
-
the dried excrement of fish-eating sea birds, deposited in rocky coastal regions of South America: contains the urates, oxalates, and phosphates of ammonium and calcium; used as a fertilizer
-
the accumulated droppings of bats and seals
-
-
any similar but artificial substance used as a fertilizer
-
A substance composed chiefly of the dung of sea birds or bats, accumulated along certain coastal areas or in caves and used as fertilizer.
-
Any of various similar substances, such as a fertilizer prepared from ground fish parts.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of guano
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Spanish: “fertilizer, dung”; Latin American Spanish huano “dung,” from Quechua wanu “dung for fuel, fertilizer”
Explanation
Guano is bird or bat poop. If you park your car near the harbor, your windshield may end up covered in seagull guano. Ew. You'll most often find the word guano used for the specific bird (or bat) manure that's used as a fertilizer in gardens. In fact, the term is so common that some fertilizers are called guano even when they don't contain actual bird poop. Guano, a Spanish word with Quechua roots, is rich in nitrogen, potassium, and other nutrients that help plants grow.
Vocabulary lists containing guano
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:
Their collective body heat raises the cave’s temperature to a sweltering 106°F, and the piles of guano beneath them are deep enough to bury the Statue of Liberty to her waist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
"Our work extends the known geographic extent of guano fertilization, echoing recent findings in northern Chile, and suggests soil management began at least around 800 years ago in Peru."
From Science Daily ● Mar. 7, 2026
Their guano, or dung, can also be used as fertilizer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2024
The guano contained dozens of previously unknown viruses, including a new coronavirus, a relative of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, the research team reports this week in Communications Biology.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 24, 2024
Now, in his eagerness to hear his news, the guano smell seemed almost welcome.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
It has been estimated that Texas guanos alone consume 6,600 tons of insects each year.
From Time Magazine Archive
Manures were found to be of increased value when mixed, and guanos were introduced.
From How to Get on in the World A Ladder to Practical Success by Major A.R. Calhoon
In the old rich Peruvian guanos, as we have above shown, the nitrogen was more abundant than is the case at present.
From Manures and the principles of manuring by Charles Morton Aikman
Maracaïbo and Monks guanos come from the coast of Venezuela.
From Manures and the principles of manuring by Charles Morton Aikman
There are, as we shall immediately see, certain kinds of guano, known as phosphatic guanos, which only contain phosphates.
From Manures and the principles of manuring by Charles Morton Aikman
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
