noun
stool
stool
noun
1
A simple seat for one person with no back or armrests.
"She perched on a bar stool while waiting for her order."
"The kitchen island has three stools tucked underneath it."
2
Solid waste passed from the body; feces.
"The doctor asked for a stool sample to check for infection."
How to Use Stool
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA backless single seat, or (in medical contexts) a bowel movement.
When to use it
The medical sense is the standard clinical term, not a euphemism — doctors and nurses use it plainly.
Common pairings
bar stool
stool sample
perch on a stool
Word Forms
stooled past tense, stooled past tense, stools plural, stools singular, stools singular
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She perched on a bar _____ while waiting for her order.
Etymology
From Old English stōl ("chair, seat"), an ancient Germanic word also behind German Stuhl and Dutch stoel; ultimately from a root meaning "to stand".