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purgative

[ pur-guh-tiv ]
/ ˈpɜr gə tɪv /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR purgative ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

purging or cleansing, especially by causing evacuation of the bowels.

noun

a purgative medicine or agent; cathartic.

RELATED WORDS

purge, laxative, physic, aperient, emetic, aperitive

Nearby words

  1. puree,
  2. purehearted,
  3. purely,
  4. purfle,
  5. purgation,
  6. purgatively,
  7. purgatoire,
  8. purgatorial,
  9. purgatory,
  10. purge

Origin of purgative

1350–1400; < Late Latin pūrgātīvus (see purgation, -ive); replacing Middle English purgatyf < Middle French < Late Latin, as above
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for purgative

British Dictionary definitions for purgative

purgative

/ (ˈpɜːɡətɪv) med /

noun

a drug or agent for purging the bowels

adjective

causing evacuation of the bowels; cathartic
Derived Formspurgatively, adverb
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
Word Origin and History for purgative

purgative

adj.

late 14c., from Old French purgatif (14c.) and directly from Late Latin purgativus, from purgat-, past participle stem of Latin purgare (see purge (v.)). The noun is attested from early 15c. (Old English medical texts have clænsungdrenc).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for purgative

purgative

[ pûr′gə-tĭv ]

n.

An agent used for purging the bowels.

adj.

Tending to cause evacuation of the bowels.
Related formspur′ga•tive adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.