cathartic

4 definitions found

cathartic - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Cathartic \Ca*thar"tic\, Catharical \Ca*thar"ic*al\, a. [Gr. ?,
     fr. ? to cleanse, fr. ? pure; akin to F. chaste.]
     1. (Med.) Cleansing the bowels; promoting evacuations by
        stool; purgative.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Of or pertaining to the purgative principle of senna, as
        cathartic acid.
        [1913 Webster]

  Cathartic \Ca*thar"tic\, n. [Gr. ?.] (Med.)
     A medicine that promotes alvine discharges; a purge; a
     purgative of moderate activity.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The cathartics are more energetic and certain in action
           that the laxatives, which simply increase the tendency
           to alvine evacuation; and less powerful and irritaint
           that the drastic purges, which cause profuse, repeated,
           and watery evacuations. -- Ca*thar"tic*al*ly, adv. --
           Ca*thar"tic*al*ness, n.
           [1913 Webster]

cathartic - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  cathartic
      adj 1: emotionally purging [syn: cathartic,
             psychotherapeutic]
      2: emotionally purging (of e.g. art) [syn: cathartic,
         releasing]
      3: strongly laxative [syn: cathartic, evacuant, purgative]
      n 1: a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels
           [syn: purgative, cathartic, physic, aperient]

cathartic - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  67 Moby Thesaurus words for "cathartic":
     abstergent, alleviating, alleviative, analgesic, anesthetic,
     anodyne, aperient, assuasive, balmy, balsamic, benumbing,
     carminative, cleaner, cleaning, cleaning agent, cleaning solvent,
     cleanser, cleansing, cleansing cream, cold cream, cream, deadening,
     demulcent, dentifrice, depurant, depurative, detergent, diuretic,
     dulling, easing, emetic, emollient, enema, expurgatory, holystone,
     laxative, lenitive, lotion, lustral, mitigating, mitigative,
     mouthwash, nauseant, numbing, pain-killing, palliative, physic,
     pumice stone, purgative, purge, purging, purificatory, purifier,
     purifying, relieving, remedial, rinse, shampoo, soap, softening,
     solvent, soothing, subduing, synthetic detergent, tooth powder,
     toothpaste, wash