recrement

[rek-ruh-muh nt]

See more synonyms for recrement on Thesaurus.com

noun

Physiology. a secretion, as saliva, that is reabsorbed by the body.
refuse separated from anything; dross.

Origin of recrement

1590–1600; < Middle French < Latin recrēmentum dross, refuse, equivalent to re- re- + crē-, variant stem of cernere to sift, discern + -mentum -ment

Related formsrec·re·men·tal, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for recrement

lava, glut, waste, exuberance, surplus, overkill, refuse, trash, impurity, dregs, scum, slag, sediment, lees, scoria, residue, ashes, dross, cinders, profusion

British Dictionary definitions for recrement

recrement

noun

physiol any substance, such as bile, that is secreted from a part of the body and later reabsorbed instead of being excreted
waste matter; refuse; dross

Derived Formsrecremental, adjective

Word Origin for recrement

C16: via Old French from Latin recrēmentum slag, filth, from re- + cernere to sift

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

Word Origin and History for recrement

"dross, scum," 1590s, from French récrément (mid-16c.) or directly from Latin recrementum, from re- (see re-) + cernere "to sift, separate" (see crisis).