Purgative
/ˈpɜːr.ɡə.tɪv/noun
A substance that causes the evacuation of the bowels.
Did you know?In ancient medicine, purgatives were often used in rituals believed to cleanse the body and soul of impurities, linking them to spiritual rebirth.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
purgativus
“tending to cleanse or purify”
Late Middle Ages
Old French
purgatif
“a medicine that cleanses or purges”
14th Century
Middle English
purgetif
“related to purification or cleansing”
Modern English
English
purgative
“a substance that cleanses or causes bowel evacuation”