Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A dark green fecal material that accumulates in the fetal intestines and is discharged at or near the time of birth.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Poppy-juice.
  • noun The feces of a new-born infant.
  • noun In entomology, the feces of an adult insect just transformed from the pupa.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun obsolete Opium.
  • noun The contents of the fetal intestine; hence, first excrement.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun medicine A dark green mass, the contents of the fetal intestines during the later stages of mammalian gestation, that forms the first faeces of the newborn
  • noun obsolete opium

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun thick dark green mucoid material that is the first feces of a newborn child

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin mēcōnium, poppy juice, from Greek mēkōnion, from mēkōn, poppy.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin mēcōnium ("opium; excrement of a newborn child"), from Ancient Greek μηκώνιον ("poppy-juice, opium"), from μήκων ("poppy").

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Examples

  • Sometimes the meconium can become impacted within the rectum or small colon of foals -- thus, the term meconium impaction.

    TheHorse.com News 2009

  • However, newborn infants produce this stuff called meconium which is like fecal tar.

    The NYT is trying to take away our toilet paper! Ann Althouse 2009

  • The belief is that suctioning prevents the baby from inhaling meconium, thereby preventing breathing problems or a rare type of pneumonia called meconium aspiration syndrome.

    Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn Penny Simkin 2010

  • The belief is that suctioning prevents the baby from inhaling meconium, thereby preventing breathing problems or a rare type of pneumonia called meconium aspiration syndrome.

    Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn Penny Simkin 2010

  • Fetal defecation isn't normal, but fetuses do accumulate a mass of greenish feces, called meconium, in their intestines.

    I did not know that: fetuses urinate and (can) poop Suzanne 2006

  • Fetuses take amniotic fluid into their lungs, and in a minority of MSAF cases, passed meconium enters the airway before birth and afterward leads to respiratory symptoms collectively called meconium aspiration syndrome MAS.

    I did not know that: fetuses urinate and (can) poop Suzanne 2006

  • This blackish mixture, called meconium, will become her first bowel movement.

    Archive 2004-12-01 2004

  • This blackish mixture, called meconium, will become her first bowel movement.

    Baby at 36 weeks 2004

  • This is called meconium and is a sign that the baby has passed his or her first stool (bowel movement).

    Chapter 13 1995

  • Also, babies do NOT have a bowel movement (meconium) in utero unless baby is in distress, known as meconium aspiration syndrome.

    Mywebblogs.com Master Site Feed 2009

Comments

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  • "The kidneys are functioning, but for the first few days after delivery, the baby will not have many wet diapers. The frequency of wet diapers increases by the end of the week. The digestive system is working and the first bowel movement will be the sticky, dark, tarlike stool called meconium."

    WebMD

    October 3, 2007

  • *barf*

    October 3, 2007

  • Why did I always think this word was mecomium (with an M in the middle)?

    February 7, 2008

  • Meconium is normally stored in the infant's intestines until after birth, but sometimes (often in response to fetal distress) it is expelled into the amniotic fluid prior to birth, or during labor. If the baby then inhales the contaminated fluid, respiratory problems may occur.

    See Meconium Aspiration Syndrome".

    When a woman's water breaks, it should be fairly clear. If it's greenish or dark... that's an indication that meconium is present (meconium staining). This requires a doctor's attention.

    May 14, 2011