bowel movement: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1medical, formal, euphemistic
Quick answer
What does “bowel movement” mean?
The act or process of excreting waste matter from the bowels.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The act or process of excreting waste matter from the bowels; a single instance of such excretion.
A euphemistic or medical term for the solid or semi-solid waste expelled from the digestive tract, or the act of expelling it.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the term. In everyday UK English, 'bowel movement' is perceived as quite clinical; 'have a poo' or 'go to the loo' are more common casual phrases. In the US, 'bowel movement' is the standard polite/medical term more readily used by the general public.
Connotations
UK: Strongly clinical, associated with doctors or formal contexts. US: Standard polite/medical register, less jarringly clinical than in the UK.
Frequency
More frequent in American English across registers. In British English, its use is predominantly confined to medical/healthcare contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “bowel movement” in a Sentence
have + a + bowel movementexperience + (adj) + bowel movementverb + during + bowel movementsuffer from + lack of + bowel movementsVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bowel movement” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The patient has not yet bowel-opened.
- He is finding it difficult to move his bowels.
American English
- The infant hasn't bowel-moved in two days.
- She was unable to have a bowel movement.
adjective
British English
- Bowel movement frequency is a key health indicator.
- She kept a bowel-movement diary.
American English
- Bowel movement patterns changed after the surgery.
- Report any bowel-movement abnormalities.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not applicable.
Academic
Used in medical, biological, and health sciences literature. Example: 'The study monitored the frequency of bowel movements in the test group.'
Everyday
Used in polite conversation, especially when discussing health or children's habits. Example (US): 'The doctor asked if I was having regular bowel movements.' Example (UK): 'The GP inquired about my bowel habits.'
Technical
Standard term in medical diagnostics, nursing, and pharmacology. Example: 'The patient reported a cessation of bowel movements for 72 hours.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bowel movement”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bowel movement”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bowel movement”
- Incorrect article: 'have bowel movement' instead of 'have *a* bowel movement'.
- Pluralisation error: 'I had three bowel movement yesterday' instead of 'bowel movements'.
- Using it as a verb: 'I need to bowel movement' (incorrect).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is considered a polite, clinical, and euphemistic term, suitable for use in medical settings and polite company where direct terms might be considered offensive.
No, it is a noun phrase. You cannot say 'I bowel-movemented'. The correct verb constructions are 'to have a bowel movement' or 'to defecate'.
In medical charts and notes, it is commonly abbreviated as 'BM' (e.g., 'Patient had a BM this morning').
Yes. 'Bowel movement' primarily refers to the *act or process* of defecation, though it is also used for the product. 'Stool' refers specifically to the *waste product* itself, not the act.
The act or process of excreting waste matter from the bowels.
Bowel movement is usually medical, formal, euphemistic in register.
Bowel movement: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbaʊəl ˌmuːv.mənt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbaʊ.əl ˌmuːv.mənt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “regular as clockwork”
- “go like clockwork”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'bowel' (intestines) + 'movement' (something that moves). It's the 'movement' (passing) of matter 'from' the 'bowels'.
Conceptual Metaphor
ELIMINATION IS A JOURNEY / THE BODY IS A CONTAINER (waste exits the container).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'bowel movement' LEAST likely to be used?