enema
Americannoun
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enemas,
plural
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enemata
plural
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the injection of a fluid into the rectum to cause a bowel movement.
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the fluid injected.
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Also called enema bag. a rubber bag or other device for administering an enema.
noun
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the introduction of liquid into the rectum to evacuate the bowels, medicate, or nourish
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the liquid so introduced
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
Davids — who grew up in South Africa, where culturally it’s common for grandmothers to administer enemas to children in rural areas — does a coffee enema twice per month.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
The sooner you take your dog to its veterinarian, the greater the chance of removing the toxin from its body through methods such as inducing vomiting or administering an enema.
From New York Times ● Feb. 13, 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
Unsurprisingly, given that most people tend to find coffee enemas after reports of being failed by Western medicine, mainstream gastroenterology is not on board with this practice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
In the 19th century, an American doctor, Russell Thatcher Trall, did the same, adding cold-water enemas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
On social media, she uses the words "cancer-free" rather than "cured" - and says how she used juices and coffee enemas.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2025
What if an incurable condition could be managed with fresh juice and coffee enemas?
From Salon ● Feb. 7, 2025
Some of his advice included all-grape diets and almost hourly enemas.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
Astringent enemata to check bleeding and diarrhea, like hot water, ice water, solution of alum or nitrate of silver.
From Mother's Remedies Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and Canada by Thomas Jefferson Ritter
In cases in which excision is impracticable, the sufferings of the patient may be alleviated by performing low tracheotomy, and by feeding with the stomach tube or by nutrient enemata.
From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Alexander Miles
Of course, where the former are affected it is necessary to nourish the patient artificially, partly perhaps by nutrient enemata, but principally by means of the stomach-tube.
From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various
Patient was treated with copious enemata and dismissed on the fifth day cured.
From Schweigger on Squint A Monograph by Dr. C. Schweigger by C. Schweigger
He speaks more favourably of the introduction of food into the stomach by a silver tube; and he strongly recommends the use of nutritive enemata.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 1 "Austria, Lower" to "Bacon" by Various
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.
