noun pl. cloacae or cloacas
- a sewer or cesspool
- Zool.
- the cavity into which both the intestinal and the genitourinary tracts empty in reptiles, birds, amphibians, and many fishes
- in some invertebrates, a similar cavity serving as an excretory, respiratory, and reproductive duct
Origin:
L < cluere, to cleanse < IE base *lū-, to rinse, clean > Gr klyzein, to wash, Ger lauter, pure