CLOACA

sewer, sewerage, cloaca

(noun) a waste pipe that carries away sewage or surface water

cloaca

(noun) (zoology) the cavity (in birds, reptiles, amphibians, most fish, and monotremes but not mammals) at the end of the digestive tract into which the intestinal, genital, and urinary tracts open

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

cloaca (plural cloacas or cloacae)

(sometimes, figurative) A sewer.

(zoology) The duct in reptiles, amphibians and birds, as well as most fish and some mammals, which serves as the common outlet for urination, defecation, and reproduction.

An outhouse or lavatory.

(anatomy) A duct through which gangrenous material escapes a body.

Synonyms

• (sewer): See sewer

• (outhouse or lavatory): See bathroom

Source: Wiktionary


Clo"a"ca, n.; pl. Cloacæ. Etym: [L.]

1. A sewer; as, the Cloaca Maxima of Rome.

2. A privy.

3. (Anat.)

Definition: The common chamber into which the intestinal, urinary, and generative canals discharge in birds, reptiles, amphibians, and many fishes.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

28 May 2025

AIR

(noun) a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing; “an air of mystery”; “the house had a neglected air”; “an atmosphere of defeat pervaded the candidate’s headquarters”; “the place had an aura of romance”


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Coffee Trivia

In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.

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