aperient

American  

[uh-peer-ee-uhnt] / əˈpɪər i ənt /

adjective

1. having a mild purgative or laxative effect.

---

noun

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

aperient British  

/ əˈpɪərɪənt /

adjective

1. laxative

---

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 ( cover, operculum )

Example Sentences

After male-fern capsules it is quite unnecessary to give any aperient.

From Project Gutenberg

In the first, or inflammatory stages, bleeding and aperients are clearly called for.

From Project Gutenberg

I have generally given it in lemonade in such amounts as to secure a gentle aperient and diuretic effect.

From Project Gutenberg

Sapodilla, sap-ō-dil′a, n. a name given in the West Indies to the fruit of several species of Achras, the seeds aperient and diuretic, the pulp subacid and sweet.

From Project Gutenberg

In medicine it is employed as an aperient, and is one of the safest and most innocuous known.

From Project Gutenberg