aperient

American  

[uh-peer-ee-uhnt] / əˈpɪər i ənt /

adjective

1. having a mild purgative or laxative effect.

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noun

1. a medicine or food that acts as a mild laxative.

aperient British  

/ əˈpɪərɪənt /

adjective

1. laxative

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noun

1. a mild laxative

Etymology

Origin of aperient

1620–30; < Latin aperient- (stem of aperiēns opening, present participle of aperīre to open), equivalent to aperi- (apparently ap- , variant of ab- ab- + -eri- ) + -ent- -ent; the base -eri-, perhaps with an earlier shape *wery- or *twery-, occurs only in this verb and operīre to close ( see cover, operculum)