Feces
/ˈfiː.siːz/noun
Waste material discharged from the bowels of humans and animals.
Did you know?The Latin root 'faex' means 'dregs' or 'sediment', suggesting that feces were once seen as the remnants of life, a potent symbol of decay and renewal.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰeǵʰ-
“to put, to place, often linked to the act of depositing or laying down.”
Latin
Latin
faex
“dregs, sediment; often referring to refuse or waste material.”
Old French
Old French
feces
“excrements or refuse, derived from Latin.”
Middle English
Middle English
feces
“waste matter, especially human waste, borrowed from Old French.”
Modern English
English
feces
“referring to the solid waste excreted from the body, maintaining its Latin roots.”