defecate

/ˈdɛfɪkeɪt/

//ˈdɛfɪkeɪt// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"defecate" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“defecate” is uncommon English (frequency #59,330 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#59,330
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To excrete feces from one's bowels.

Corpus desk

Index EN-defecate · defecate · English

defecate · rank #59,330 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #59,330
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH defamed

Nearest frequency peer: defamed (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “defecate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “defecate” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for defecate
PropertyValue
Headworddefecate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈdɛfɪkeɪt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#59,330
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “defecate” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).defecatefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “defamed” (#59,329), “depo” (#59,333), “depositary” (#59,334). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “defecate” is #59,330. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

defecate is uncommon English at frequency #59,330 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈdɛfɪkeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

defecate doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin dēfaecātus, the perfect passive participle of dēfaecō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). See also faeces; cognate with French déféquer. The correct English form is defecate, spelled D-E-F-E-C-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To excrete feces from one's bowels.
  2. 2
    To pass (something) as excrement; to purge.
  3. 3
    To clean (something) of dregs, impurities, etc.; to purify.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how defecate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. [I]f vve defæcate the notion from materiality, […] it vvill be as hard to apprehend, as that an empty vviſh ſhould remove Mountains: a ſuppoſition vvhich if realized, vvould relieve Siſyphus.
  2. […] I ſhall add, that proſecuting a hint a happened to meet with in the diſcourſe of a wandering chymiſt, I practiſed a way ſo to defecate the dark and muddy oil of amber drawn per ſe, that a pretty proportion of it would come over ſo tranſparent and finely coloured, that the experiment did not a little pleaſe thoſe I ſhewed it to.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dēfaecātus, the perfect passive participle of dēfaecō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). See also faeces; cognate with French déféquer.

Synonyms

boo-boocackchoke a darkiecrapdefecatedo one's easeease oneselfdo a number twodo one's easementdritedrop a bombdrop a chalupadrop a deucedrop anchordrop the kids off at the pooldungexrementizefeceatehave a shitmove one's bowelspinch a loafpinch one offpoopoohpoopsharnshartshissshitshitestooltake a dumptake a shittake a craptake the Browns to the Super Bowluncoilvoid one's bowels

This word in other languages

defecar(Español)déféquer(Français)defäkieren(Deutsch)defecar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "defecate"?
"defecate" is spelled D-E-F-E-C-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɛfɪkeɪt/.
What does "defecate" mean?
As a verb, "defecate" means: To excrete feces from one's bowels.
How do you pronounce "defecate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "defecate" is /ˈdɛfɪkeɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "defecate"?
Borrowed from Latin dēfaecātus, the perfect passive participle of dēfaecō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). See also faeces; cognate with French déféquer. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "defecate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Dewsbury#59,343cyclonic#59,315Dinklage#59,346creasing#59,306

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list