guano

See also: Guano, guanó, and guáno

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Quechua wanubor.

Spanish guanobor.

English guano

Borrowed from Spanish guano, from Quechua wanu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡwɑːnəʊ/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːnəʊ

Noun

guano (countable and uncountable, plural guanos or guanoes)

1. Dung from a sea bird or from a bat.

   Hyponyms: (vulgar) birdshit, (vulgar) batshit

   • 1799, Edwin Sidney, Blights of the Wheat, and Their Remedies, page 175:

     The guano, so extensively used for manure, is full of the most beautiful infusoria, some of them splendidly iridiscent; and there is no better method of testing the genuineness of this useful substance than by the microscope.

   • 1844, J. Ridgway, Peruvian and Bolivian Guano, its nature, properties and results, page 22:

     In the second experiment, a comparative trial was made between guano and bone-dust mixed with coal ashes.

   • 1918, Philip Lindsey Gile, The bat guanos of Porto Rico and their fertilizing value, page 60:

     Low-grade phosphatic guanos can be mixed with coffee hulls and pulp, which contain a small amount of potash.

   • 1995, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls:

     The great white bat has great white guano!

2. Coccothrinax borhidiana, a variety of palm tree indigenous to Cuba.
   • 2010, James D. Nations, The Maya Tropical Forest:

     A roof made of guano palm fronds will last up to 15 years, although Maya harvesters point out that the leaves must be cut when the moon is full; otherwise, the stems become susceptible to insect damage.

3. (obsolete) A variety of seabird.
   • 1703, William Dampier, A New Voyage round the World, volume 1:

     The Animals of these Islands, are some Hogs, Lizards, and Guanoes; and some of those Creatures mentioned in Chap. XI. which are like, but much bigger than the Guano.

   • 1764, Lives of illustrious British seamen, etc, page 111:

     Dampier observes, that no part of the globe is so well stocked with guanoes and land-tortoises as the Gallapagos. The guanoes are fat, tame, and of an extraordinary size.

   • 1765, John Barrow, A Collection Of Authentic, Useful, and Entertaining Voyages and Discoveries:

     These they call Guanoes, and the dung Guano, the Indian name for excrement in general. These birds, after spending the whole day in catching their food in the sea, repair at night to rest on the islands near the coast […]

   • 1850, Annual Report of the American Institute, on the Subject of Agriculture, American Institute in the City of New York:

     The fish consumed by the guanoes, (as the fishing birds are called) are anchovies, the shoals of which are beyond all comparison.

Derived terms

• guaniferous
• guanine
• guanite
• guanized
• guanobious
• guanotrophic
• guanotrophy
• rock guano

Translations

dung from a sea bird or from a bat

• Bulgarian: гуано n (guano), птича тор f (ptiča tor)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 海鳥糞 / 海鸟粪 (zh) (hǎiniǎofèn)

• Czech: guáno (cs) n
• Dutch: guano (nl)
• Esperanto: guano (eo)
• Estonian: guaano (et)
• Finnish: guano (fi)
• French: guano (fr) m
• German: Guano (de) m
• Greek: γκουανό (el) n (gkouanó)
• Hebrew: גואנו
• Icelandic: drit (is) n
• Irish: diuáin m, guanó m
• Italian: guano (it) m
• Japanese: グアノ (ja) (guano), 海鳥糞 (ja) (かいちょうふん, kaichōfun), 鳥糞石 (ja) (ちょうふんせき, chōfunseki)
• Korean: 새똥 (ko) (saettong), 해조분 (haejobun)
• Persian: چلقوز (čalquz), کود مرغی (kud-e morγi), گوآنو (fa) (gu'āno)
• Polish: guano (pl) n
• Portuguese: guano m
• Quechua: wanu
• Romagnol: guân m
• Russian: гуа́но (ru) n (guáno)
• Spanish: guano (es) m, murcielaguina f (of bats), cuita (es) f (of birds)
• Tagalog: guwano
• Turkish: guano (tr)
• Venetan: schito (vec) m, schit m

Verb

guano (third-person singular simple present guanos, present participle guanoing, simple past and past participle guanoed)

1. (transitive) To fertilize (land) with guano.

Derived terms

• unguanoed

Anagrams

• Aguon

Danish

Etymology

From Spanish guano, from Quechua wanu.

Noun

guano c (singular definite guanoen, not used in plural form)

1. guano

Declension

Declension of guano

common gender	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	guano	guanoen
genitive	guanos	guanoens

References

• “guano” in Den Danske Ordbog

Finnish

Etymology

From Spanish guano, from Quechua wanu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡuɑno/, [ˈɡuɑ̝no̞]
• Rhymes: -uɑno
• Syllabification^(key): gu‧a‧no
• Hyphenation^(key): gua‧no

Noun

guano

1. guano

Declension

Inflection of guano (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		guano	guanot
genitive		guanon	guanojen
partitive		guanoa	guanoja
illative		guanoon	guanoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		guano	guanot
accusative	nom.	guano	guanot
	gen.	guanon
genitive		guanon	guanojen
partitive		guanoa	guanoja
inessive		guanossa	guanoissa
elative		guanosta	guanoista
illative		guanoon	guanoihin
adessive		guanolla	guanoilla
ablative		guanolta	guanoilta
allative		guanolle	guanoille
essive		guanona	guanoina
translative		guanoksi	guanoiksi
abessive		guanotta	guanoitta
instructive		—	guanoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of guano (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative guanoni guanoni accusative nom. guanoni guanoni gen. guanoni genitive guanoni guanojeni partitive guanoani guanojani inessive guanossani guanoissani elative guanostani guanoistani illative guanooni guanoihini adessive guanollani guanoillani ablative guanoltani guanoiltani allative guanolleni guanoilleni essive guanonani guanoinani translative guanokseni guanoikseni abessive guanottani guanoittani instructive — — comitative — guanoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative guanosi guanosi accusative nom. guanosi guanosi gen. guanosi genitive guanosi guanojesi partitive guanoasi guanojasi inessive guanossasi guanoissasi elative guanostasi guanoistasi illative guanoosi guanoihisi adessive guanollasi guanoillasi ablative guanoltasi guanoiltasi allative guanollesi guanoillesi essive guanonasi guanoinasi translative guanoksesi guanoiksesi abessive guanottasi guanoittasi instructive — — comitative — guanoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative guanomme guanomme accusative nom. guanomme guanomme gen. guanomme genitive guanomme guanojemme partitive guanoamme guanojamme inessive guanossamme guanoissamme elative guanostamme guanoistamme illative guanoomme guanoihimme adessive guanollamme guanoillamme ablative guanoltamme guanoiltamme allative guanollemme guanoillemme essive guanonamme guanoinamme translative guanoksemme guanoiksemme abessive guanottamme guanoittamme instructive — — comitative — guanoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative guanonne guanonne accusative nom. guanonne guanonne gen. guanonne genitive guanonne guanojenne partitive guanoanne guanojanne inessive guanossanne guanoissanne elative guanostanne guanoistanne illative guanoonne guanoihinne adessive guanollanne guanoillanne ablative guanoltanne guanoiltanne allative guanollenne guanoillenne essive guanonanne guanoinanne translative guanoksenne guanoiksenne abessive guanottanne guanoittanne instructive — — comitative — guanoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative guanonsa guanonsa accusative nom. guanonsa guanonsa gen. guanonsa genitive guanonsa guanojensa partitive guanoaan guanoansa guanojaan guanojansa inessive guanossaan guanossansa guanoissaan guanoissansa elative guanostaan guanostansa guanoistaan guanoistansa illative guanoonsa guanoihinsa adessive guanollaan guanollansa guanoillaan guanoillansa ablative guanoltaan guanoltansa guanoiltaan guanoiltansa allative guanolleen guanollensa guanoilleen guanoillensa essive guanonaan guanonansa guanoinaan guanoinansa translative guanokseen guanoksensa guanoikseen guanoiksensa abessive guanottaan guanottansa guanoittaan guanoittansa instructive — — comitative — guanoineen guanoinensa

Further reading

• “guano”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish guano, from Quechua wanu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡwa.no/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

guano m (plural guanos)

1. guano

Descendants

• → Romanian: guano

Further reading

• “guano”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Italian

Noun

guano m (plural guani)

1. guano

Anagrams

• aguno, agunò

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish guano, from Quechua wanu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡuˈa.nɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -anɔ
• Syllabification: gu‧a‧no

Noun

guano n

1. guano (bat or sea bird feces)
2. (euphemistic) guano, crap

Declension

Declension of guano

	singular
nominative	guano
genitive	guana
dative	guanu
accusative	guano
instrumental	guanem
locative	guanie
vocative	guano

Further reading

• “guano”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[2] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “guano”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[3] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Mineração de guano

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish guano, from Quechua wanu (“dung”).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈɡwɐ̃.nu/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈɡwɐ.nu/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈɡwɐ.nu/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈɡwa.nu/

• Rhymes: -ɐnu
• Hyphenation: gua‧no

Noun

guano m (uncountable)

1. (uncountable) guano (bat or sea bird feces)
2. fertilizer made from such feces

Further reading

• “guano”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French guano.

Noun

guano n (uncountable)

1. guano

Declension

singular only	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	guano	guanoul
genitive-dative	guano	guanoului
vocative	guanoule

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Quechua wanu (“dung”). False cognate of Proto-Slavic *govьno (“shit, cow dung”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡwano/ [ˈɡwa.no]
• Rhymes: -ano
• Syllabification: gua‧no

Noun

guano m (plural guanos)

1. guano

Derived terms

• guanear
• guanero
• guanina

Descendants

• → Catalan: guano
• → English: guano
• → Finnish: guano
• → French: guano
  • → Romanian: guano
• → Galician: guano
• → Irish: guanó
• → Japanese: グアノ (guano)
• → Polish: guano
• → Portuguese: guano
• → Russian: гуано (guano)
• → Tagalog: guwano

Further reading

• “guano”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025