What does doo mean?
Doo is an informal, childish English word for excrement, belonging to the same nursery register as "poo" and "poop." It appears most often in speech directed at or produced by small children, in casual conversation about pets or toddlers, and in humorous writing, but it has no place in formal prose. Beyond the bathroom sense, "doo" survives prominently in music as a scat-style nonsense syllable, giving its name to doo-wop, the harmony-rich American vocal genre that flourished in the 1950s. Because it is pronounced exactly like "do" and differs by one letter from "due," it is easily confused in writing with those far more common words, so careful writers reserve it strictly for its playful, informal senses.
nounAn informal, childish word for excrement or faeces. It also appears as a nonsense or scat syllable in music, most notably in the vocal style known as doo-wop.
- Informal, childish term for excrement or faeces.
- A nonsense or scat syllable used vocally in music, as in doo-wop.
"The toddler announced proudly that she had gone to the potty all by herself — no more doo in nappies."
"Watch out — there's dog doo on the pavement."
"The backup singers hummed a smooth doo-wop line behind the lead vocalist."
A single extra 'o' turns the most common verb in English into a toddler's word for poop.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of doo
The origin of "doo" is not firmly documented in major etymological references; it is generally treated as a nursery word, likely formed through the kind of simple, repetitive sound-play common in children's language rather than descended from any particular older root. Its musical use as a nonsense syllable arose in twentieth-century American popular singing, where repeated "doo" syllables gave doo-wop its name.
Related word forms
How doo is actually used
Strictly informal and associated with nursery language or playful speech; it would be out of place in formal writing. In music contexts it appears mainly within the fixed term doo-wop.
Easily confused with doo
"Due" means owed or expected at a certain time, whereas "doo" is an informal childish word for excrement.
"Do" is the extremely common verb of performing actions, while "doo" is a noun used informally or playfully for faeces.