What does defecator mean?
Defecator is a rare English noun meaning a person or animal that defecates, or more generally anything that performs the act of expelling feces. Its wording is notably plain: unlike euphemisms such as bowel evacuator, it names the bodily function directly rather than disguising it. In current use, the word is most likely to appear in biological, veterinary, or behavioral research, where a neutral agent noun can identify an animal or subject without gender or personal naming. In ordinary social prose, however, it can sound clinical, childish, or deliberately blunt, and “person who defecates” is usually the more neutral construction. The term comes from the same Latin family as defecate, defecation, feces, and fecal, ultimately associated with faex, meaning “dregs” or “sediment.” Although uncommon, defecator is precise and memorable as an agent noun formed directly from a familiar verb.
nounA person or animal that defecates; one who expels feces from the body.
- A person or animal that defecates.
"Each defecator was observed from a concealed position, and the intervals between visits were recorded."
"Each defecator was observed from a concealed position, and the intervals between visits were recorded."
"The report treated the unidentified animal as the principal defecator in the enclosure."
The regular plural is rarely needed because the word itself is uncommon.
"The field team recorded the locations of both defecators separately."
A rare agent noun that says plainly who does what: its Latin ancestor referred to clearing away the “dregs.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does defecator come from?
Defecator is an English agent-noun formed from defecate with the suffix -or, meaning “one who” performs the action. Defecate comes through Latin defaecare, composed of de-, meaning “out” or “away,” and faex, meaning “dregs” or “sediment.” The same faec- family produced English forms including faeces, fecal, and defecation.
How defecator is actually used
This is a rare, usually scientific, veterinary, or behavioral term. In ordinary social writing it may sound clinical, childish, or deliberately blunt, and it can be perceived as insulting when applied to a person.
Easily confused with defecator
A defector abandons an organization, country, or allegiance, whereas a defecator is someone or something that defecates.