defecate

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈdɛfɪˌkeɪt/ UK /ˈdefɪˌkeɪt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to discharge feces from the body; or to purify of dregs

The patient was unable to defecate for several days.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to discharge feces from the... void excrete evacuateegestpurify clarify

Word family

Forms defæcation

Derived forms defecationdefecatordefecated

Related forms fecesfecalfaeces

Simplified etymology

Defecate entered English in the late Middle English period from Latin defaecare, formed from de-, expressing removal, and faex or faec-, “dregs.” It originally meant “clear of dregs” or “purify”; the modern bodily sense dates from the mid-19th century.

Etymology

From Latin defaecare ('to cleanse of dregs'), from de- ('away from') + faex (genitive faecis, 'dregs, sediment'). The bodily sense developed from the older 'to purify' meaning.

defaecare Latin faex Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# defecate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈdɛfɪˌkeɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈdefɪˌkeɪt/

## Meanings
1. to discharge feces from the body; or to purify of dregs

## Examples
- The patient was unable to defecate for several days.

## Synonyms
- void
- excrete
- evacuate
- egest
- purify
- clarify

## Derived Forms
- defecation
- defecator
- defecated

## Related Forms
- feces
- fecal
- faeces

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: defaecare
- Root: faex

## Etymology
From Latin defaecare ('to cleanse of dregs'), from de- ('away from') + faex (genitive faecis, 'dregs, sediment'). The bodily sense developed from the older 'to purify' meaning.

## AI Etymology
Defecate is from Latin defaecare ('to cleanse of dregs'), from de- ('away from') + faex (genitive faecis, 'dregs, sediment'). The bodily sense developed from the older 'to purify' meaning. The ancestry passes through Latin defaecare and Latin faex. The prefix de- often marks removal, reversal, or downward motion in Latin formations, helping to explain the word's surface structure. In present use as a verb, it means "to discharge feces from the body; or to purify of dregs", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include feces, fecal, and faeces; derived forms include defecation, defecator, and defecated.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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