aperient
[uh-peer-ee-uh nt]Medicine/Medical
- having a mild purgative or laxative effect.
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- a medicine or food that acts as a mild laxative.
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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)
Also called aperitive.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for aperient
Historical Examples
Dispensatory: Described as a cathartic with roots tonic and aperient.
The Sacred Formulas of the CherokeesJames Mooney
Butter is wholesome in youth and old age, anti-poisonous, and aperient.
This will, in the majority of cases, enable her to do without an aperient.
Searchlights on Health: Light on Dark CornersB.G. Jefferis
Brown bread and oatmeal porridge have also an aperient effect.
Papers on HealthJohn Kirk
Do you presume to judge of Inglish's Aperient, who have swallowed but one?
The Memoirs of Harriette Wilson, Volumes One and TwoHarriette Wilson
aperient
- laxative
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- a mild laxative
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Word Origin
C17: from Latin aperīre to open
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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