irritative

American  

[ir-i-tey-tiv] / ˈɪr ɪˌteɪ tɪv /

adjective

1. serving or tending to irritate.

2. Pathology. characterized or produced by irritation of some body part.

   an irritative fever.

---

Other Word Forms

• irritativeness noun
• unirritative adjective

Etymology

Origin of irritative

First recorded in 1680–90; irritate + -ive

Example Sentences

"We are recording a surge in the number of irritative bronchitis infections," Jugal Kishore, the head of the medicine department at the city's Safdarjung Hospital, told PTI news agency.

From BBC • Nov. 2, 2023

I. Those things which increase the irritative motions, which constitute absorption, are termed sorbentia; and are as various as the absorbent vessels, which they stimulate into action.

From Zoonomia, Vol. II Or, the Laws of Organic Life by Darwin, Erasmus

During the remainder of the intermission the pulse may be normal, or it may continue accelerated in consequence of some irritative condition; as the time for the relapse approaches it frequently again becomes abnormally slow.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various

These agencies have, moreover, the marked disadvantage of adding their irritative effects to those incidental to the dermatitis.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various

The first symptoms are of an irritative character—dull pain in the head, restlessness, and hyper-sensitiveness to external stimuli.

From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander