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
There, they performed another enema that finally helped with the pain.
From Seattle Times ● May 23, 2023
Lidl enema: You can find just about anything in that supermarket’s variety aisle.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 27, 2022
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
Amid hot-water bottles and enema bags, he placed his bets.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Coffee enemas are likely not harmful when done in moderation, but we don’t have much more than anecdotal evidence at this point to indicate that they’re helpful either.
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
Ms Shemirani, 23, had declined chemotherapy in favour of juices and coffee enemas advocated for by her mother, Kate Shemirani, a former nurse who was struck off for her anti-vaccination views.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2025
What if an incurable condition could be managed with fresh juice and coffee enemas?
From Salon ● Feb. 7, 2025
We wrapped her wrists with beaded bracelets, gave her castor-oil enemas, packed hot cactus compresses on her brow.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
I wish the enemata did have power to weaken that part of the bowel involved in disease.
From Intestinal Ills Chronic Constipation, Indigestion, Autogenetic Poisons, Diarrhea, Piles, Etc. Also Auto-Infection, Auto-Intoxication, Anemia, Emaciation, Etc. Due to Proctitis and Colitis by Alcinous B. (Alcinous Burton) Jamison
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
Bouvard, physician to Louis XIII, applied two hundred and twenty enemata to this monarch in the course of six months.
From Intestinal Ills Chronic Constipation, Indigestion, Autogenetic Poisons, Diarrhea, Piles, Etc. Also Auto-Infection, Auto-Intoxication, Anemia, Emaciation, Etc. Due to Proctitis and Colitis by Alcinous B. (Alcinous Burton) Jamison
The patient must be encouraged to take plenty of easily digested fluid food, supplemented, if necessary, by nutrient enemata and saline infusions.
From Manual of Surgery Volume First: General Surgery. Sixth Edition. by Alexis Thomson
But if bleeding has recently taken place no food whatever should be allowed by the stomach, and the feeding should be by nutrient enemata.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5 "Gassendi, Pierre" to "Geocentric" by Various
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