feces
UK[ˈfiːsiːz]US[ˈfiːsiːz]
n
Waste matter discharged from the bowels; excrement.
Etymology
The word 'feces' entered English in the late 14th century from the Latin plural noun 'faeces', which meant 'dregs, sediment'. This Latin term is derived from the singular 'faex', meaning 'grounds, dregs, lees of wine'. The semantic journey moved from a general concept of waste sediment or impurities settled at the bottom of a liquid to the specific bodily waste expelled from the intestines. The logic of the word's evolution lies in this metaphorical extension, where the body is conceptualized as a vessel from which residual, impure matter is separated and expelled, much like dregs from a liquid.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from Latin. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes within its modern English spelling.
Examples
The laboratory tested the animal feces for parasites.
Proper sanitation is crucial for the safe disposal of human feces.
The presence of blood in the feces can be a sign of serious illness.