Word
dung
US/ˈdəŋ/
UK/dˈʌŋ/
Definitions
01animal waste
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. waste from animals, especially large ones like cows or elephants.
n. the excrement of animals, typically large herbivores, often used as manure for soil enrichment.
“The farmer collected the cow dung to use as fertilizer for his crops.”
“Biologists studied the elephant dung to determine the health and diet of the herd moving through the reserve.”
Usage
Usually uncountable when referring to the substance in general.
02to fertilize
C1 · Advanced Cooking Technical
v. to put animal waste on land to help plants grow better.
v. to apply dung to land as a fertilizer.
“The gardener decided to dung the vegetable patch before the spring planting.”
“Traditional agricultural practices required the peasants to dung the fields heavily after the autumn harvest to prepare for the next cycle.”
Usage
Transitive verb taking the land or soil as its direct object.
03to defecate
C2 · Proficiency Technical · Formal
v. a word for when an animal passes waste from its body.
v. to void excrement; used specifically in reference to animals.
“The horses were dunging in the field near the fence.”
“The veterinarian noted that the cattle were dunging more frequently than usual, suggesting a change in their dietary fiber intake.”
Usage
Intransitive verb.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“I also wanted a modest fossil: the coprolite, millions-of-years-old dung.” “Some species are found in the unlikeliest places: in the soil crust of the Sonoran desert, on decaying dung in the Sahara, in cushions of Antarctic moss.” “The other investigated fossilized dung, known scientifically as coprolites.” Etymology
From Middle English dung, dunge, donge, from Old English dung (“dung; excrement; manure”), from Proto-West Germanic dungu, from Proto-Germanic dungō (“dung”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰengʰ- (“to cover”). Superseded non-native Middle English fen (“dung, excrement, filth”), from Old French fien, fiente (“dung, manure”).
See ding
unknown
Onomatopoeic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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