ˈnight-soil
[f. night n. + soil n.]
1. The excrementitious matter removed by night from cesspools, etc.
| 1770–4 A. Hunter Georg. Ess. (1804) II. 294 Night soil is found to be an excellent manure. 1844 Stephens Bk. Farm II. 30 A crop of the large orange carrot, manured with night-soil. 1860 Reade 8th Commandm. 343 They have toiled at scurrility day by day, year by year, like vendors of night soil, not like writers. |
2. attrib. and
Comb., as
night-soil cart,
night-soil collector,
night-soil man.
| 1967 O. Wynd Walk Softly, Men Praying ix. 145, I had to steer past a chain of night-soil carts. |
| 1960 Spectator 19 Feb. 244 The nightsoil collectors of Lagos's slums were so thoughtless as to go on strike. |
| 1957 M. Banton W. Afr. City viii. 158 Loko men are ridiculed by other tribes for working as night-soil men. 1960 C. Achebe No Longer at Ease ii. 16 As soon as the night-soil-man passed swinging his broom..and trailing clouds of putrefaction the boy quickly sprang to his feet and began calling him names. 1965 J. R. Hetherington Selina's Aunt 42/2, I then learned that he worked for the council—in the capacity of night-soilman. |