excrément

excrement, faeces

noun ex-kreh-MAHN Rare

Origin: Latin excrementum, from excernere (to sift out)

Usage Note

Excrément is the formal, clinical term for faeces; the more common everyday word is caca (informal) or selles (medical). It is most often used in the plural: des excréments. The word is used in biology and ecology contexts without taboo connotation, but would sound overly formal in casual conversation.

Examples

"Des excréments d'animaux jonchaient le sol."

Natural Translation

Animal excrement littered the ground.

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