What does shat mean?
“Shat” is a blunt, highly vulgar word with two closely related uses. As a verb, it means to defecate, or to pass feces from the body. As a noun, it refers to feces or excrement itself. The word can occur in straightforward statements about bodily functions, but its register is distinctly informal and often offensive, so it is unlikely to appear in neutral professional or educational prose except when quoting speech or discussing the word itself. In British English it can also be used figuratively in the expression “shat yourself,” meaning to deceive or disappoint someone. “Shat” is now generally treated as a separate word rather than simply as the past tense of “shit,” although that historical relationship remains evident in its form and pronunciation. Because it is direct, crude, and unambiguous, it is chiefly encountered in colloquial speech, humorous writing, and informal online communication.
To pass feces from the body.
"He shat before the journey and felt much more comfortable."
Vulgar and informal. It may also occur in figurative British expressions such as “shat yourself.”
Feces or excrement.
"There was a suspicious lump of shat near the barn."
Vulgar and informal; normally uncountable, although the rare plural “shats” is possible.
The noun is normally uncountable; “shats” is a rare plural form.
"The farmer found several shats in the field."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of shat
The word developed from older English forms associated with “shit,” whose roots are Germanic. It was historically used as a past form and continued in use after “shit” became established as the present-tense form. English “shit” belongs to a wider Germanic family that includes cognates such as German “scheißen,” Dutch “schijten,” and Swedish “skita.” As the usage became independent, “shat” came to function as both a present-tense verb and a noun.
Related word forms
How shat is actually used
Both the verb and noun are vulgar and generally unsuitable for polite or formal writing. In British English, “shat” may also occur in expressions such as “shat yourself,” meaning to disappoint or deceive someone. Medical contexts generally use terms such as “feces” or “stool” instead.
Easily confused with shat
“Shit” can be a more general and much more common vulgar term, whereas “shat” is often used for the act of defecating or, as a noun, for the feces itself.