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Glite Dictionary
💊 A mucus medicine 😮‍💨 A person who spits
expectorator

expectorator

9.5
A medicine that helps clear mucus from the chest
  • noun
  • /ɪkˈspɛktəˌreɪtər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : expectorante
  • Using an expectorator can make it easier for patients to expel phlegm from their lungs.

Examples

  • The doctor prescribed an expectorator to help relieve her persistent cough.

  • Many over-the-counter syrups contain an expectorator to aid in clearing chest congestion.

  • The doctor prescribed an expectorator for my cough.

  • Many expectorators are available over the counter.

  • The doctor recommended an expectorator to help him clear the mucus from his throat.

  • She bought an expectorator at the pharmacy to relieve her coughing fits.

  • Using an expectorator improved her ability to breathe more easily when she was sick.

Synonyms

Robitussin
vsexpectorator
  • Specialized
3 4.3

A cough medicine that loosens chest mucus and helps you cough it up

is the general medicine type rather than a specific branded product
expectorant
vsexpectorator
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A medicine that helps loosen and remove mucus from the chest

is the same medicine but uses a different word form

Surface Forms

expectorator singular
expectorators plural

Morphology

expectorator = expectorate (semi-transparent) = expectorate + or

The suffix '-or' clearly forms a noun from 'expectorate', but the specific meaning 'medicine that promotes expectoration' is less directly predictable than a straightforward agent noun.

Etymology

Expectorator comes from the Latin parts ex- 'out' and pectus 'chest', so it literally means 'to bring out from the chest'. A helpful way to remember this is to think of an expectorator as a medicine that helps push mucus 'out' of your chest, which is why it clears chest congestion.