enema
Americannoun
-
the injection of a fluid into the rectum to cause a bowel movement.
-
the fluid injected.
-
Also called enema bag. a rubber bag or other device for administering an enema.
noun
-
the introduction of liquid into the rectum to evacuate the bowels, medicate, or nourish
-
the liquid so introduced
Etymology
Origin of enema
First recorded in 1675–85; from Late Latin, from Greek: “injection,” from en- en- 2 + (h)e- (stem of hiénai “to send, throw”) + -ma, noun suffix
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.
If that means I have to get a coffee enema, I’m getting a coffee enema.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2025
They may try to remove the impaction manually or administer a warm-water enema to flush it out.
From Washington Post • Jan. 23, 2023
The microbiome company Rebiotix Inc. last year announced positive results from a phase 3 trial of its recurrent C. difficile treatment, a filtered stool product delivered as an enema.
From Science Magazine • Jan. 19, 2022
Called fleets because they were fleeting, the word is also a brand name for an enema — something many people pointed out on Twitter when the feature launched.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 14, 2021
Amid hot-water bottles and enema bags, he placed his bets.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
