poo meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

poo

noun

UK /puː/ · US /pu/

Etymology See pooh.

Alternative Alternative spelling of pooh: an instance of saying "poo".

Poo... feces.1960, Harold Wentworth et al., Dictionary of American Slang, page 401:
Wherever legitimate tracks are found there's always some fresh scat, y'know, poo, flop, dumplings.2018, Brent Butt, “Sasquatch Your Language”, in Corner Gas Animated:

2 more examples

2025 (viewed), "Bowel cancer screening", NHS [UK National Health Service] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bowel-cancer-screening/ Use a clean container to catch your poo. Do not let your poo touch the toilet water.
Ashley starts necking Imodium; Devin promises himself he will not crap in a bag while on a cruise with his future father-in-law; Abhi, the chef, notes that the unworking loos filled with poos layered with toilet paper look “like a lasagne”.2025 June 24, Lucy Mangan, “Poop Cruise review – a fascinating look at a toilet disaster that still haunts passengers 12 years later”, in The Guardian:

UK, Childish A piece of feces or an act of defecation.

That doggy's doing a poo.June 22 1981, The Guardian, p. 8
2025 (viewed), "Bowel Dysfunction", Midlands Partnership University (NHS Foundation Trust) https://web.archive.org/web/20241203211740/https://www.mpft.nhs.uk/services/specialist-pelvic-health-team/bowel-dysfunction Chronic Constipation – Symptoms can be: You have to strain a lot to poo; Your poos are hard and lumpy; You feel unfinished after having a poo.

Slang Cannabis resin.

Internet, Derogatory, Ethnic, Offensive, Slur A person of South Asian ancestry.

Synonyms: feces, defecation
Derived terms: all fart and no poo, bullpoo, cutesy-poo, icky-poo, pile of poo, pooey, pooface, poohead, poojeet, poonami, poophoria, poo pirate, poo poo, poo tickets, Pootin, rocking horse poo, transpoosion, up poo creek
Coordinate terms: pee, wee

verb

Etymology See pooh.

Alternative Alternative spelling of pooh: to say "poo".

Childish To defecate.

The dog practically has to poo on his shoe before he can make the pinch.1975 July 6, C. James, Observer, page 23:
People had to poo in bags, you see. Jan had to get on the public address system and explain to thousands of disbelieving passengers that “number ones” could be done in the shower but “number twos” must be done in the red biohazard bags being distributed, then placed in corridors for collection by unnamed staff, none of whom chose to appear in this documentary.2026 June 24, Lucy Mangan, “Poop Cruise review – a fascinating look at a toilet disaster that still haunts passengers 12 years later”, in The Guardian:

Childish To dirty something with feces.

Most babies I knew then had on introduction either howled or pooed their pants.1989 December 11, The Mercury:
We all know what happened to them—they... poohed their pants.2003 March 13, The Sun:

intj

Etymology See pooh.

Alternative Alternative spelling of pooh: Expressing dismissal, disgust, etc.

Euphemistic Expressing annoyance, frustration, etc.: a minced oath for 'shit'.

Petulant and pouty, Stephanie herself says things like, ‘Oh, poo.’1986 January 12, Chicago Tribune, page 3c:

noun

Etymology Clipping of shampoo.

Abbreviation, Clipping, Slang, Usually Clipping of shampoo.

Why I Cut Down on the “Poo”: A Note from Melissa […] People are saying no to “poo”—shampoo, that is. A very famous hairstylist to the stars (who has gorgeous hair himself) admits that he never washes his hair with shampoo. He’s not the only one to swear by the no-poo approach.2012, Melissa Schweiger, Belli Beautiful: The Essential Guide to the Safest Health and Beauty Products for Pregnancy, Mom, and Baby, Da Capo Press, →ISBN:

Slang, Usually Champagne.

noun

Etymology From poodle.

A poodle crossbreed.

To date, the only Poos who have received any serious attention from the AKC are the Labradoodle (Labrador Retriever and Poodle) and the Cockapoo (Cocker Spaniel and Poodle).2005, Sandra Choron, Harry Choron, Planet Dog: A Doglopedia, Houghton Mifflin Company, →ISBN, page 211:
There’s no club for Maltipoo breeders yet, so your best bet is to look for a breeder of other Poo dogs.2005, Margaret H. Bonham, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Designer Dogs, Alpha Books, →ISBN, page 88:

4 more examples

My sister has always wanted a little peekapoo, probably because they are kind of prissy, like she is. Personally, I never much cared for poo dogs of any kind, especially poodles. White french poodles are the worst.2007, Renee Riva, Saving Sailor, David C. Cook, page 64:
And I looked at what I call the “poo” dogs, the currently fashionable/popular combos of cockapoo, yor-kiepoo, maltipoo, and a whole bunch of other “poos” that seemed unpredictable to me as to how big they would be, and what traits they would have of either breed.2013, Danielle Steel, Pure Joy, Transworld Publishers, →ISBN:
‘What kind of dog is Eddie?’ I asked curiously. ‘He’s a Westiepoo.’ ‘A what?’ ‘Westiepoo,’ repeated Nikki, ‘a West Highland White Terrier/Poodle mix. I’m pretty much obsessed with poos.’ ‘We have plenty of that round here,’ I said, ‘so you’ve come to the right place.’ ‘You might have worded that better, Nikki,’ said Max and she laughed. ‘I’m obsessed with poodle hybrids,’ Nikki explained.2014, Sheila Agnew, Evie Brooks in Central Park Showdown, Dublin: The O’Brien Press, →ISBN, page 87:
She kept the bookmarks firmly on the “poo” dogs. “Come on! Just look. They’re irresistible!” She kept scrolling through sites for Maltipoos, Shih-poos and Yorkipoos.2017, Teresa Toten, Beware That Girl, Hot Key Books, Bonnier Zaffre Ltd, →ISBN:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.