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human waste

human waste

6 3.5
Dirty substances that people get rid of from their bodies, like urine and feces
  • noun
  • /ˈhjuːmən weɪst/
translation icon : residuos humanos
  • I would never walk around in human waste like he did, so that was surprising to hear about.
  • discharge human waste
  • recycle human waste
  • urban human waste

Not a sponsor, but they are actually using basically human waste biosolids in their fertilizer.

Examples

  • Home now is an abandoned building with boarded-up windows, a bathtub, and a toilet filled with human waste; the smell is unbearable.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The survival of the inhabitants depends on the proper elimination of human waste and water purification.

    Academic text (2011)
  • A major barrier to closing the human waste portion of the P cycle may be psychological.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The cool morning breeze brought him the reek of human waste well before he got to the site.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The air was filled with the smell of fresh vegetables, spoiling fish, and human waste.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Even though laws require ships to treat their wastewater, the human waste products generated and disposed of on these cruises may impact the environment.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Without a waterworks, city residents depended on rainwater to flush human waste and refuse away.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Combined with animal and human wastes, these nitrogen loadings will eventually lead to serious nitrate contamination.

    Academic text (1997)
  • The jail reeked of human waste in metal buckets and tobacco juice spat onto the granite floors.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Improper disposal of human waste can lead to serious environmental and health problems.

Synonyms

poop
vshuman waste
  • NSFW
109 5.1

Solid waste that people or animals pass from their body

is the neutral, more general phrase covering all bodily discharges
stool
vshuman waste
  • NSFW
30 5.8

Solid waste that the body leaves when you go to the toilet

is the broader everyday term that includes this clinical concept
excrement
vshuman waste
  • NSFW
26 6.1

Waste that leaves the body, such as poop

is broader and also includes liquid discharges alongside these solids
pooh
vshuman waste
  • Baby Talk
12 5.9

Solid waste that children pass from the body

is the neutral adult expression that covers both liquids and solids
fecal matter
vshuman waste
  • US
8 4.2

Solid waste that leaves the body after it digests food

is a general term that spans both solid and liquid bodily discharges
excreta
vshuman waste
  • NSFW
1 8.6

Waste from the body like poop or pee

is the broader general category that includes both liquid and solid discharges
excretion
vshuman waste
  • Specialized
1 6.4

Waste left by the body, like urine or feces

is the wider category covering these kinds of bodily discharges
body waste
vshuman waste
  • NSFW
1 2.7

Things the body gets rid of, like urine, sweat, and feces

is the broader class encompassing these various bodily waste types
feces
vshuman waste
  • NSFW
1 4.8

Solid waste the body sends out through the anus after food is digested

also covers liquid bodily discharges such as urine, not only solids
excretory product
vshuman waste
  • Specialized
6.1

A waste that the body gets rid of like urine or sweat

is the more general label that groups all such bodily substances together

Surface Forms

human waste singular
human wastes plural

Morphology

human + waste

The compound meaning is directly compositional: 'human' (pertaining to people) + 'waste' (refuse) yields waste produced by humans, so the sense is predictable from the parts. This noun–noun construction is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Human waste joins the words human, meaning a person, and waste, meaning what the body gets rid of. So it literally names the urine and feces people produce.