road apple

English

Etymology

Probably with reference to the supposed similarity to rotten apples.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Noun

road apple (plural road apples)

1. (idiomatic, dated, often pluralized) Horse manure, especially when deposited on a road.
   • 1964, P. S. Martin and F. W. Sharrock, "Pollen Analysis of Prehistoric Human Feces: A New Approach to Ethnobotany," American Antiquity, vol. 30, no. 2, p. 171:

     Samples 7–12 contained coarsely chewed plant material; several closely resembled the "road apples" of horse and burro.

Translations

road apple

• Czech: koňská kobliha f
• German: Pferdeapfel (de) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}