laxative
Americannoun
adjective
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of, relating to, or constituting a laxative; purgative.
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Archaic.
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(of the bowels) subject to looseness.
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(of a disease) characterized by looseness of the bowels.
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noun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012adjective
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Other Word Forms
- laxatively adverb
- laxativeness noun
Etymology
Origin of laxative
1350–1400; Middle English laxatif (< Middle French ) < Medieval Latin laxātīvus loosening ( laxation, -ive )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The crucial mineral is magnesium, which has a laxative effect.
From BBC
Ivan now has a care package so his constipation can be managed at home with laxatives and daily bowel wash outs.
From BBC
"Sometimes we also put a laxative in alcohol and baked goods for the Russian soldiers, as a 'welcome pack'," she says.
From BBC
Ms Nicklas, who works in north Wales, said before her surgery she was "taking laxatives like they were smarties" but "still struggling to go to the toilet".
From BBC
A police search found 96 ibuprofen tablets, laxatives, a feeding syringe and a pill crusher.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
