PURGATIVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does purgative mean? 

• PURGATIVE (noun)
  The noun PURGATIVE has 1 sense:

1. a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels

  Familiarity information: PURGATIVE used as a noun is very rare.

• PURGATIVE (adjective)
  The adjective PURGATIVE has 1 sense:

1. strongly laxative

  Familiarity information: PURGATIVE used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PURGATIVE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

aperient; cathartic; physic; purgative

Hypernyms ("purgative" is a kind of...):

medicament; medication; medicinal drug; medicine ((medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "purgative"):

aloes; bitter aloes (a purgative made from the leaves of aloe)

castor oil (a purgative extracted from the seed of the castor-oil plant; used in paint and varnish as well as medically)

Epsom salts ((used with a singular noun) hydrated magnesium sulfate used as a laxative)

laxative (a mild cathartic)

milk of magnesia (purgative consisting of a milky white liquid suspension of magnesium hydroxide; used as a laxative and (in smaller doses) as an antacid)

Rochelle powder; Seidlitz powder; Seidlitz powders (an effervescing salt containing sodium bicarbonate and Rochelle salt and tartaric acid; used as a cathartic)

Derivation:

purgative (strongly laxative)

• PURGATIVE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Strongly laxative

Synonyms:

cathartic; evacuant; purgative

Similar:

laxative (stimulating evacuation of feces)

Derivation:

purgative (a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels)

purge (excrete or evacuate (someone's bowels or body))

 Context examples 

Croton oil was used as a drastic purgative agent, but is now mostly used as a standard irritant in pharmacological research.

(Croton Oil, NCI Thesaurus)