4 definitions
for cathartic
From The 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]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :
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]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 :
cathartic
adj 1: emotionally purging [syn: psychotherapeutic]
2: emotionally purging (of e.g. art) [syn: releasing]
3: strongly laxative [syn: evacuant, purgative]
n : a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels
[syn: purgative, physic, aperient]
From 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
