What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
cloaca
Example
The bird's cloaca serves as a single opening for both waste elimination and egg-laying. [cloaca: noun]
Example
The city's old infrastructure had a network of cloacas to manage the sewage system. [cloacas: plural noun]
cesspool
Example
The old house had a cesspool in the backyard to collect and store wastewater. [cesspool: noun]
Example
His mind felt like a cesspool of negative thoughts and emotions. [cesspool: metaphorical noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Cesspool is more commonly used than cloaca in everyday language. Cesspool has a broader range of applications and is more widely understood, while cloaca is more specific and less commonly used outside of scientific or technical contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between cloaca and cesspool?
Both cloaca and cesspool are relatively formal words, but cloaca is more technical and scientific in nature, while cesspool can be used in both formal and informal contexts to describe unpleasant or morally corrupt situations.
