evacuant

9.9

Causing the bowels to empty

adjective
/ɪˈvæk.ju.ənt/

Archaic

: evacuante

Some herbal remedies are known for their evacuant effects on the digestive tract.

Examples

Some herbal remedies are known for their evacuant effects on the digestive tract.
Before the procedure, she was given an evacuant to clear her intestines.
The doctor prescribed an evacuant to relieve the patient's severe constipation.
The evacuant worked quickly.
This evacuant is very effective!
Before the procedure, she was given an evacuant to clear her intestines.
The doctor prescribed an evacuant to relieve the patient's severe constipation.

Synonyms

laxative

vsevacuant

Specialized

8 4.9

Causing the body to pass stool

is stronger in effect, causing vigorous bowel emptying

purgative

vsevacuant

Specialized

1 9.2

Causing a person to empty their bowels

acts more directly to bring about immediate bowel emptying

cathartic

vsevacuant

Specialized

1 8.9

Making you empty your bowels quickly

is the general term for a substance that causes strong bowel emptying

aperient

vsevacuant

Specialized

9.9

Makes the bowels move gently to relieve mild constipation

is much stronger, producing forceful bowel evacuation

How Laxative

purgative

Specialized

1 9.2

evacuant

Archaic

9.9

cathartic

Specialized

8.5

laxative

Specialized

18 4.1

Surface Forms

evacuant positive

Morphology

evacuant = evacuate (semi-transparent) = e + vac + u + ant

The meaning 'causing evacuation of the bowels' is a specialized medical usage not immediately obvious from 'evacuate'.

Etymology

The word evacuant comes from the Latin evacuare, built on vacu- meaning 'empty', and is like the English words vacant and vacuum. So, an evacuant is something that makes the bowels 'empty', which is why it is a strong laxative.