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aperient

aperient

9.9
A medicine that makes the bowels move gently to relieve mild constipation
  • noun
  • /əˈpɪəriənt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : aperiente
  • The herbal remedy acted as a gentle aperient to ease his discomfort.

Examples

  • After a hearty meal, she decided to take an aperient to help with her digestion.

  • After her surgery, the doctor prescribed an aperient to help restore regular bowel movements.

  • He asked the pharmacist for a mild aperient rather than a strong laxative.

  • The doctor recommended an aperient for my constipation.

  • Many people prefer a natural aperient to harsh laxatives.

  • The doctor recommended an aperient to relieve the patient's constipation.

  • Many people use an aperient to gently stimulate their bowel movements.

Synonyms

physic
vsaperient
  • Archaic
4 9.9

A medicine that makes you empty your bowels

is the modern, everyday term instead of older medical usage
purgative
vsaperient
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A medicine that makes a person empty their bowels

is milder and gentler in action
cathartic
vsaperient
  • Specialized
8.5

A medicine that makes you empty your bowels quickly

is milder, working gently rather than forcefully

Antonyms

18 3.4

Difficulty passing hard or infrequent stools that may be painful

How Laxative

purgative
  • Specialized
1 8.1
laxative
  • Specialized
18 4.1
aperient
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

aperient singular
aperients plural

Etymology

Aperient comes from the Latin word aperire meaning 'to open', the same root as in aperture, and an aperient is a medicine that 'opens' the bowels gently, so it means a mild laxative.