guano

noun

gua·​no ˈgwä-(ˌ)nō How to pronounce guano (audio)
: a fertilizer containing the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats
broadly : excrement especially of seabirds or bats

Examples of guano in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Two men have reportedly died after inhaling bat guano used to grow marijuana, raising concerns about the safety of natural bat guano and commercially available fertilizers. Dario Sabaghi, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024 The result is an assemblage of sorts where blue-footed boobies, coral reefs and even bat guano play a leading role, illustrating the ways nonhuman actors and their attendant ecologies have survived human predation. Elizabeth Rush, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025 Once seabird numbers stabilize, a lot more nutrient-rich guano will be landing on the motus and affecting plant growth. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Jan. 2025 The poop, or guano, of infected birds is teeming with viruses. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for guano

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Quechua wanu fertilizer, dung

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of guano was in 1604

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Cite this Entry

“Guano.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guano. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

guano

noun
gua·​no ˈgwän-ō How to pronounce guano (audio)
: a substance composed chiefly of the excrement of seabirds or bats and used as a fertilizer

More from Merriam-Webster on guano

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