Defecate
/ˈdɛf.ə.keɪt/noun
To excrete waste from the body.
Did you know?Its root is Latin *defaecare*, from *faex* meaning “dregs” or “sediment,” so the original image is of clearing wine or liquid until the impurities settle out.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
defaecare
“to clear of dregs; to purify by removing sediment”
Classical Latin
Latin
faex
“dregs, sediment, lees”
Late Latin
Latin
defaecatus
“cleared, purified, freed from dregs”
14th–16th Century
English
defecate
“to clear or purify; later, to empty the bowels”
Modern English
English
defecate
“to excrete waste from the body”
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