# defecate

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈdɛfɪkeɪt/ · frequency rank #59,330

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

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/defecate