estiércol
/esˈtjeɾkol/
Manure in Spanish is estiércol.
The term refers to fertiliser (noun).
Meaning: fertiliser (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use estiércol when referring specifically to animal manure used as fertilizer, whereas abono is a more general term for any fertilizer (organic or chemical).
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun estiércol is masculine and is used with the definite article el.
How do you pronounce it?
/esˈtjeɾkol/
Did you know?
- In some rural regions of Spain, the phrase estar en el estiércol is used idiomatically to describe being in a wretched or miserable situation.
- The word estiércol is a cognate of the rare English medical term 'stercoraceous', which describes something consisting of or resembling feces.
- Because estiércol is a strong word, Spanish speakers often use the euphemism humus when discussing organic fertilizers in a professional or polite setting.
Examples in context
- Limpió las fuentes, para que el agua fuese clara y pura, sacó el estiércol del jardín por temor a que el olor fuera ofensivo, y arregló su huerto para que apareciese en toda su belleza.He cleansed the fountains, that the water might be clear and pure, carried the manure out of the yard for fear lest the smell might prove offensive, and trimmed his orchard that it might appear in all its beauty.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use estiércol when describing yard maintenance.Tatoeba #6864189 by albrusgher, translation #6213336 by Hybrid
- El agricultor utiliza estiércol para fertilizar sus cultivos.The farmer uses manure to fertilize his crops.
- Para el estudio, recolectamos abono orgánico de diferentes fuentes.For the study, we collected organic fertilizer from different sources.
- El estiércol es bueno para las plantas.Manure is good for the plants.
- Necesitamos comprar más estiércol para el huerto.We need to buy more manure for the vegetable garden.
Example conversation
María and Javier are talking in their garden about their plants.
- María¿Tienes el estiércol para las flores?Do you have the manure for the flowers?
- JavierSí, lo tengo en el cobertizo.Yes, I have it in the shed.
- MaríaPerfecto, ayúdame a ponerlo en la tierra.Perfect, help me put it in the ground.
- JavierClaro, vamos a trabajar ahora.Sure, let's work now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry estiércol, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries estiércol, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
