Definition of Purgative

1. Noun. A purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels.


2. Adjective. Strongly laxative.
Exact synonyms: Cathartic, Evacuant
Similar to: Laxative
Derivative terms: Catharsis, Cathartic, Evacuate, Purge

Definition of Purgative

1. a. Having the power or quality of purging; cathartic.

Definition of Purgative

1. Adjective. (capable of) purging ¹

2. Noun. something, such as a substance or medicine, that purges; laxative ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Purgative

1. [n -S]

Lexicographical Neighbors of Purgative

purfile
purfiles
purfle
purfled
purfler
purflers
purfles
purfling
purflings
purfly
purga
purgament
purgaments
purgation
purgations
purgative (current term)
purgatively
purgatives
purgatorial
purgatorian
purgatorians
purgatoric
purgatories
purgatory
purge
purgeable
purged
purger
purgeries
purgers

Literary usage of Purgative

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The American Journal of the Medical Sciences by Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (U.S.) (1858)
"The Oil of the Jatropha Curcas, or Physic Nut, as a purgative, and flie Oil •and Leaves as a Counter-irritant.—Various physicians have at different times ..."

2. Encyclopædia Britannica: Or, A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and by Colin MacFarquhar, George Gleig (1797)
"Diuretic and corroborative. Weakly purgative. purgative and diuretic. ... purgative and corroborant ; taken in the quantity of from one to three or four ..."

3. A Textbook of Pharmacology and Therapeutics: Or, The Action of Drugs in by Arthur Robertson Cushny (1910)
"The purgative Oils. Two very important members of the purgative series are Castor oil (Oleum Ricini), and Croton oil (Oleum ..."

4. The Practitioner by Gale Group, ProQuest Information and Learning Company (1894)
"A Hypodermic purgative.—Dr. J. Percy Wade, at the suggestion of Dr. Rohes, has made a study of the purgative action of magnesium sulphate when administered ..."

5. A Handbook of Therapeutics by Sydney Ringer (1871)
"BUCHHEIM asserts that these two substances are rendered purgative only by the ... RHUBARB is used as a purgative. It is asserted to be also a tonic. ..."

6. Practical therapeutics by Edward John Waring (1866)
"By moderate exercise in the open air, while taking this salt, its purgative operation is diminished, and its diuretic effect increased. ..."

7. The Retrospect of Practical Medicine and Surgery: Being a Half-yearly edited by William Braithwaite, James Braithwaite, Edmond Fauriel Trevelyan (1852)
"The sulphate, phosphate, and tartrate of soda, and the tartrate of soda and potassa, may indeed be substituted for each other as regards their purgative ..."

Other Resources:

Search for Purgative on Dictionary.com!Search for Purgative on Thesaurus.com!Search for Purgative on Google!Search for Purgative on Wikipedia!

Search