diarrhea

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   frequent and watery bowel movements

   Diarrhea has many potential causes.

2. 2
   noun

   The watery or very soft excrement that comes from such bowel movements.

   My Pampers bill is higher than your paycheck, my hands are raw from washing them every six minutes, and I do eight loads of laundry a day because everything we own is covered in diarrhea, and you want me to "plug him up" and wait another three weeks?

3. 3
   noun

   A gastrointestinal disorder characterized by frequent and very soft or watery bowel movements.

Etymology

From Middle English diaria, from Middle French diarrie (French diarrhée), from Late Latin diarrhoea, from Ancient Greek διάρροια (diárrhoia, “through-flowing”), from διά (diá, “through”) + ῥέω (rhéō, “flow”). By surface analysis, dia- + -rrhea. Spelling later altered to resemble the word's Latin and Greek roots. Displaced native Old English ūtsiht (literally “straining out”).