COPROPHAGY Meaning and
Definition
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Coprophagy is a noun that refers to the act of consuming feces, or consuming the excrement of oneself or others. It is derived from the combination of the Greek words "kopros," meaning feces, and "phagein," meaning to eat. Coprophagy can be observed in various animal species, including insects, rodents, and some mammals.
In nature, coprophagy serves different purposes depending on the species. For example, some animals engage in coprophagy as a means of extracting additional nutrients from their waste. This behavior allows them to fully digest food particles that may have passed through their digestive systems incompletely. In other cases, coprophagy can be a means of acquiring beneficial gut bacteria. This is particularly common in herbivorous animals, where the process assists in breaking down plant fibers and extracting vital nutrients from their highly fibrous diets.
While coprophagy is more frequently observed in animals, there are rare instances where humans may exhibit this behavior as well. Reports of coprophagy in humans are often associated with specific medical conditions or psychological disorders. However, it is essential to note that coprophagy is generally not considered a normative or socially acceptable behavior in the context of human society.
Overall, coprophagy refers to the biological process of ingesting feces and can serve different purposes depending on the species engaging in it.
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The eating of human or animal excrement.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for COPROPHAGY
- xoprophagy
- voprophagy
- foprophagy
- doprophagy
- ciprophagy
- ckprophagy
- clprophagy
- cpprophagy
- c0prophagy
- c9prophagy
- coorophagy
- colrophagy
- co-rophagy
- co0rophagy
- copeophagy
- copdophagy
- copfophagy
- coptophagy
- cop5ophagy
- hipophagy
- zerophagy
- Coprophago
Etymology of COPROPHAGY
The word "coprophagy" is derived from two roots: "copro" and "phagy".
The first root, "copro", comes from the Greek word "kopros", which means "dung" or "feces". It is often used in scientific or medical terms related to waste products or excrement.
The second root, "phagy", comes from the Greek word "phagein", which means "to eat". It is commonly used in words related to the act of consuming or feeding on something.
Therefore, the word "coprophagy" combines these two roots to describe the behavior of certain animals that eat or consume feces, which is commonly observed in various species for different reasons like nutritional needs, adaptation, or behavior.
Similar spelling words for COPROPHAGY
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