ENGLISH
REFERENCE

dung

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced US //ˈdəŋ// UK //dˈʌŋ// dung Archaic Informal

n. the solid waste from large animals like cows or horses. Farmers often use it on fields to help plants grow better.

n. the excrement of large herbivorous animals, such as cattle or horses. Often used in agricultural contexts to refer to manure.


SIMPLE

The farmer collected the dung to use as fertilizer.

CONTEXTUAL

Walking through the pasture, we had to be careful not to step in any fresh cow dung.

COMPLEX

In many traditional agricultural systems, dried dung serves as a vital source of fuel for cooking and heating when wood is scarce.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

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 Superseded non-native Middle English fen (“dung, excrement, filth”), from Old French fien, fiente (“dung, manure”).

Etymology 2

See ding

Etymology 3

unknown

Etymology 4

Onomatopoeic.

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