faeces
part of speech
noun (faeces, plural in form, uncountable in use); American spelling feces
meaning for a pupil
Faeces is the scientific word for poo, the solid waste that people and animals push out of their bodies through the bottom. tree →
sense in the lessons
In science lessons on digestion, food that the body cannot use leaves as faeces; in nature study, animal droppings help scientists know which animals live nearby. In everyday safety, hands are washed after the toilet because faeces carry germs. Common words for it: «poo» (UK), «poop» (US), «droppings» (animals), «dung» (large animals).
examples
- Faeces is the waste left after food is digested. tree →
- Wash your hands after the toilet, because faeces carry germs. tree →
- Scientists studied the owl's faeces to see what it ate. tree →
- Pick up dog faeces in the park with a bag. tree →
- The doctor asked for a sample of faeces to test. tree →
- Rabbit faeces are small round pellets. tree →
- The large intestine takes water out before faeces leave the body. tree →
note
British spelling «faeces», American «feces»; pronounced «FEE-seez». It is a formal, polite word for doctors and science. Treated like a plural or uncountable: «faeces are» or «the faeces was» are both heard; science texts usually say «faeces are». Always wash hands with soap after touching it or using the toilet.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «faeces» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.