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meconium
noun
me·co·ni·um
mi-ˈkō-nē-əm
: a dark greenish mass that accumulates in the bowel during fetal life and is discharged shortly after birth
Examples of meconium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The first poop that your baby will pass is called meconium.
—Donna Murray, Rn, Parents, 16 July 2024
Newborns have at least one or two of these meconium stools a day for the first two days, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
—Donna Murray, Rn, Parents, 16 July 2024
The clearest exceptions are cases of meconium ileus, in which doing nothing comes with its own costs.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2024
The amniotic fluid smells foul, looks greenish or brownish, or contains lots of blood: These qualities could indicate fetal distress, or that the baby has passed meconium (the first bowel movement), explains Brichter, in which case your provider will want to check in on your baby.
—Nicole Harris, Parents, 14 Mar. 2024
There also is a risk of pneumonia, which is caused by meconium aspiration, fecal contamination, and bacteria from tub water.
—Bekka Besich, Parents, 3 Sep. 2023
These range from infection and meconium aspiration to drowning.
—Bekka Besich, Parents, 3 Sep. 2023
Armstead knew this meant the state probably didn’t have the meconium evidence.
—Cary Aspinwall, al, 25 July 2023
Oscar spent his first two nights in the NICU due to meconium aspiration syndrome, but aside from that, my pregnancy was normal and my delivery was typical.
—Melissa Petro, Time, 3 Nov. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meconium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Latin, literally, poppy juice, from Greek mēkōnion, from mēkōn poppy; akin to Old High German mago poppy
First Known Use
circa 1706, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near meconium
Cite this Entry
“Meconium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meconium. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Medical Definition
meconium
noun
me·co·ni·um
mi-ˈkō-nē-əm
: a dark greenish mass of desquamated cells, mucus, and bile that accumulates in the bowel of a fetus and is typically discharged shortly after birth
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