cathartic
1
8.5
A medicine that makes you empty your bowels quickly
- noun
- /kəˈθɑrtɪk/
- Specialized
:
purgante
- The doctor prescribed a cathartic to help relieve her constipation after days of discomfort.
Examples
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The nurse explained that a cathartic is often used to clear the intestines before surgery.
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After taking the cathartic, he felt immediate relief as his bowels were effectively evacuated.
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It's like a cathartic, like what we all wish we could say kind of thing.
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Cathartic is such a fabulous word; according to the dictionary, its meaning is:
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Synonyms
3
9.9
A medicine that makes you empty your bowels
is the same idea but not limited to historical or medical usage
1
8.1
A medicine that makes a person empty their bowels
has the same meaning but is named differently in the description
1
9.9
A medicine that makes the bowels move gently to relieve mild constipation
causes stronger evacuation rather than only mild stimulation
How Laxative
Surface Forms
cathartic singular
cathartics plural
Etymology
The word cathartic comes from the Greek word katharsis, which means 'cleansing'. So a cathartic is a medicine that 'cleans out' the bowels.