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
Black matter moved through the tubes coming out of the baby’s mouth; that was the meconium, I was told.
—
Julie Buntin, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Without her knowledge, Villanueva said, the hospital also sent her daughter’s meconium for testing, which found the morphine.
—Shoshana Walter, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
While urine tests can detect potential drug use over a period of days, testing the baby’s meconium can uncover illicit substances going back months.
—Shoshana Walter, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
The next day, meconium — a baby’s dark, sticky first bowel movement — was detected.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 9 Dec. 2024
A day later, a social worker told the new mother: The baby’s meconium — or first bowel movement — had tested positive for opiates.
—Shoshana Walter, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
But Ava-Lea died at 35 hours old, a direct result of oxygen deprivation and inhaling meconium, according to the BBC.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 9 Dec. 2024
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Julie Buntin, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Without her knowledge, Villanueva said, the hospital also sent her daughter’s meconium for testing, which found the morphine.
—Shoshana Walter, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
While urine tests can detect potential drug use over a period of days, testing the baby’s meconium can uncover illicit substances going back months.
—Shoshana Walter, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
The next day, meconium — a baby’s dark, sticky first bowel movement — was detected.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 9 Dec. 2024
A day later, a social worker told the new mother: The baby’s meconium — or first bowel movement — had tested positive for opiates.
—Shoshana Walter, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
But Ava-Lea died at 35 hours old, a direct result of oxygen deprivation and inhaling meconium, according to the BBC.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 9 Dec. 2024
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
Dictionary Entries Near meconium
Cite this Entry
“Meconium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meconium. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share