Excreta

/ɪkˈskriːtə/ noun

Definition

Waste matter discharged from the body, especially feces and urine; bodily waste.

Etymology

From Latin excreta (things sifted out), neuter plural of excretus, past participle of excernere (to sift out, discharge); adopted directly into English as a medical/scientific term.

Kelly Says

Latin plurals are tricky—'excreta' is technically plural, but in English we often treat it as singular ('the excreta is...'), showing how we've adopted scientific Latin terms but adapted them to English grammar rules.

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