Definition

1. Noun:
   • The consumption of feces: "Scatophagy" refers specifically to the act or practice of eating excrement.
   • The ingestion of filth: In a broader sense, it can denote the eating of any waste material considered repulsive or unclean.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The scientific study documented instances of scatophagy in certain insect species.
  • Scatophagy is considered a paraphilia in some psychological classifications.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical/Technical Context: The term is primarily used in academic, medical, or zoological contexts to describe a specific behavior without euphemism.
  • The veterinarian explained that coprophagia in dogs is a form of scatophagy.

Variants and Related Words

• Scatophagous (adj): Describing an organism that feeds on excrement.
  • Dung beetles are scatophagous insects.
• Coprophagy (n): A more common synonym in biological and veterinary sciences, often used interchangeably with "scatophagy."

Synonyms

• Coprophagy: The eating of feces.
• Coprophagia: An alternative form of "coprophagy."

Notes on Meaning

• This term has a highly specific and technical meaning. It is not used in everyday conversation and carries a strong connotation of deviance or pathology when applied to human behavior, while being a neutral descriptor of natural behavior in some animal species.

Noun

1. the eating of excrement or other filth