*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of poop

Uncertain, possibly from Middle English poupen (“to make a gulping sound while drinking, blow on a horn, toot”). Compare Dutch poepen (“to defecate”), German Low German pupen (“to fart; break wind”). Also representing po

8 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 8 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1 · variant 1/3

Original entry ↗
noun

Fecal matter; feces. · An act of defecation. · The sound of a steam engine's whistle, typically low-pitched. · Ellipsis of YouTube poop (“video mashup”).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Uncertain, possibly from Middle English poupen (“to make a gulping sound while drinking, blow on a horn, toot”). Compare Dutch poepen (“to defecate”), German Low German pupen (“to fart; break wind”). Also representing poo pronounced with the mouth snapped closed at the end.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionpoupenenm · to make a gulping sound while drinking, blow on a horn, toot
  • Cognate mentionpoepennl · to defecate
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Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 1 · variant 2/3

Original entry ↗
verb

To make a short blast on a horn. · To break wind. · To defecate. · To defecate in or on something.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Uncertain, possibly from Middle English poupen (“to make a gulping sound while drinking, blow on a horn, toot”). Compare Dutch poepen (“to defecate”), German Low German pupen (“to fart; break wind”). Also representing poo pronounced with the mouth snapped closed at the end.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionpoupenenm · to make a gulping sound while drinking, blow on a horn, toot
  • Cognate mentionpoepennl · to defecate

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Source etymology 1 · variant 3/3

Original entry ↗
intj

Expressing annoyed disappointment.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Uncertain, possibly from Middle English poupen (“to make a gulping sound while drinking, blow on a horn, toot”). Compare Dutch poepen (“to defecate”), German Low German pupen (“to fart; break wind”). Also representing poo pronounced with the mouth snapped closed at the end.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionpoupenenm · to make a gulping sound while drinking, blow on a horn, toot
  • Cognate mentionpoepennl · to defecate
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A set of data or general information, written or spoken, usually concerning machinery or a process.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Recorded in World War II (1941) Army slang poop sheet (“up-to-date information”), itself of uncertain origin, perhaps toilet paper (referring to etymology 1).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
verb

To tire, exhaust. · (with out) To become tired and exhausted.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Uncertain, perhaps sound imitation.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
verb

To break seawater with the poop (stern) of a vessel, especially the poop deck. · To break over the stern of (a vessel).

noun

The rear part (after end) of a ship or other vessel. · The poop deck.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English poupe, pope, from Old French pope, poupe, pouppe, from Italian poppa, from Vulgar Latin *puppa, from Latin puppis, all meaning “stern of a ship”.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionpoupeenm
  • Derivation mentionpopefro
  • Derivation mentionpoppait
  • Derivation mentionpuppisla
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗
noun

A stupid or ineffectual person.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Uncertain, perhaps a shortening of nincompoop.

Inspect preserved source fields

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Source etymology 6

Original entry ↗
noun

A poppyhead finial seen on church pews and occasionally on other types of seating benches.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Likely from French poupe; see poppyhead.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Borrowed-form mentionpoupefr
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for poop →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
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Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-cG9vcA