Fecolith

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A solid, calcified lump that forms from compacted excrement which may lead to obstructions in the bowels
2. A dense formation created by the aggregation of hardened waste material that can result in digestive system issues
3. A hardened, stone-like mass formed from dried and compacted fecal matter inside the intestines

Etymology: Fecolith is a compound of two classical roots. "Faeces" comes from Latin "faeces" (dregs, sediment), and "-lith" comes from Greek "lithos" (stone), so the word literally means "stone of faeces." It belongs to the same family as "coprolite," the fossilised dung of ancient animals, but it refers to a hardened lump formed in the living body rather than one preserved in rock. The term is a technical coinage from medical and veterinary writing, built from these classical elements in the same way as other modern scientific words. Ancient Greeks and Romans did not use it; it was assembled from their vocabulary when physicians needed a precise name for these concretions.