Definition

1. Noun:
   • (Medicine) The chemical analysis of excrement for medical diagnosis or paleontological purposes. This is a scientific and medical usage, referring to the study of feces to gain information about health or ancient life.
   • A preoccupation with obscenity, especially that dealing with excrement or excretory functions. This usage pertains to literature, humor, or a psychological interest in what is considered foul or indecent, particularly regarding bodily waste.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Medical/Scientific):

  • The paleontologist used scatology to learn about the dinosaur's diet from fossilized droppings.
  • In some medical tests, scatology can help diagnose digestive disorders.

• Noun (Literary/Psychological):

  • The critic argued that the novel's reliance on scatology undermined its serious themes.
  • His humor was often criticized for its juvenile scatology.

Advanced Usage

• Scatological (adj): Describing something related to or characterized by an interest in excrement or obscenity.
  • The film contained scatological humor that was not suitable for children.
• Scatologist (n): A person who studies or is preoccupied with scatology (used in either sense).
  • The scatologist published a paper on ancient parasites found in coprolites.

Variants and Related Words

• Coprology: A synonym, especially for the scientific study of feces.
• Excrement: Waste matter discharged from the bowels; feces.
• Obscenity: The state or quality of being obscene; indecency.

Synonyms

• Filth (for the obscenity sense): Morally offensive or indecent material.
• Fecal analysis (for the medical sense): The examination of feces.

Related Phrases and Idioms

(Note: 'Scatology' itself is not typically used in common phrasal verbs or idioms. Its usage is mostly formal or academic.) - Bathroom humor: A casual term for humor based on scatological themes. - The comedian's act was full of childish bathroom humor.

Noun

1. (medicine) the chemical analysis of excrement (for medical diagnosis or for paleontological purposes)
2. a preoccupation with obscenity (especially that dealing with excrement or excretory functions)