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expulsive

[ik-spuhl-siv]
See more synonyms for expulsive on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. tending or serving to expel.
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Origin of expulsive

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French expulsive (feminine) < Medieval Latin expulsīvus. See expulsion, -ive
Related formsnon·ex·pul·sive, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for expulsive

Historical Examples

  • Mr. JarvisHave you ever heard about the expulsive power of a newinterest.

    Ainslee's, Vol. 15, No. 6, July 1905

    Various

  • But the term "apotropaic" is generally used of expulsive ceremonies in which a whole community takes part.

  • "The expulsive power of a new affection" is not merely a happy phrase; it is a fact in every day life.

    Outwitting Our Nerves

    Josephine A. Jackson and Helen M. Salisbury

  • The heart of a contest of this character is the expulsive power of the one over against the other.

    Is the Devil a Myth?

    C. F. Wimberly

  • The "expulsive power of a new affection" is, after all, the mightiest agency in reform.

British Dictionary definitions for expulsive

expulsive

adjective
  1. tending or serving to expel
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
expulsive in Medicine

expulsive

(ĭk-spŭl′sĭv)
adj.
  1. Tending to expel.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.