Cack
/kæk/noun
An informal British word meaning excrement, or something considered worthless or nonsensical.
Did you know?The word belongs to an ancient family built around nursery-like kak- or kakka sounds for defecation, a pattern found in several unrelated languages as well as Latin.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European (proposed)
PIE
*kakka-
“A reduplicated sound-form associated with defecation; the reconstruction is considered uncertain.”
Classical Latin
Latin
cacāre
“To defecate.”
Late Latin
Latin
caca
“Excrement or dung; a vulgar noun related to cacāre.”
Middle English, 15th Century
English
cakken
“To defecate; a vulgar verb ultimately connected with Latin cacāre.”
19th Century
English
cack
“Excrement; also used as a verb meaning to defecate.”
Modern English
English
cack
“British informal excrement, rubbish, or nonsense.”