meconium

[ mi-koh-nee-uh m ]
/ mɪˈkoʊ ni əm /

noun

the first fecal excretion of a newborn child, composed chiefly of bile, mucus, and epithelial cells.
fecal mass released at pupation by the larvae of some insects.
the milky sap of the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy; crude opium.

Origin of meconium

1595–1605; < Latin < Greek mēkṓnion, diminutive of mḗkōn poppy

Words nearby meconium

meclizine, meclofenamate sodium, mecometer, mecon, meconism, meconium, meconium aspiration, meconium ileus, meconium peritonitis, meconopsis, mecopteran

Example sentences from the Web for meconium

British Dictionary definitions for meconium

meconium
/ (mɪˈkəʊnɪəm) /

noun

the dark green mucoid material that forms the first faeces of a newborn infant
opium or the juice from the opium poppy

Word Origin for meconium

C17: from New Latin, from Latin: poppy juice (used also of infant's excrement because of similarity in colour), from Greek mēkōneion, from mēkōn poppy

Medical definitions for meconium

meconium
[ mĭ-kō′nē-əm ]

n.

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