road apple

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Horse manure, especially when deposited on a road.

Register: dated, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

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

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “road apple” mean?

Horse manure, especially when deposited on a road.

Is “road apple” formal or informal?

road apple is generally dated, slang.