clyster

American  

[klis-ter] / ˈklɪs tər /

noun

Medicine/Medical.

1. an enema.

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clyster British  

/ ˈklɪstə /

noun

1. med a former name for an enema

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Etymology

Origin of clyster

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek klystēr, equivalent to *klyd- (base of klýzein to rinse out; cf. cataclysm) + -tēr agent noun suffix

Example Sentences

The17th Century was the Golden Age of the enema, or clyster as it was then called.

From Time Magazine Archive

Her method consisted in giving from one to three drams of the powdered root, after using a clyster, and following the dose up with a purge of scammony and calomel.

From Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure by Fernie, William Thomas

And let the following clyster to expel the wind be put into the womb: Take agnus castus, cinnamon, each two drachms, boil them in wine to half a pint.

From The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher Containing his Complete Masterpiece and Family Physician; his Experienced Midwife, his Book of Problems and his Remarks on Physiognomy by Aristotle

There is no reason to doubt that the clyster and phlebotomy enjoyed as wide usage in colonial Virginia as in Europe, but the evidence surviving to prove this assumption is slight.

From Medicine in Virginia, 1607-1699 by Hughes, Thomas Proctor

If this is unsuccessful, give a clyster, made with a pipeful of tobacco, boiled for a few minutes in a pint of water.

From Sheep, Swine, and Poultry Embracing the History and Varieties of Each; The Best Modes of Breeding; Their Feeding and Management; Together with etc. by Jennings, Robert