cathartic Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels
    aperient; purgative; physic.
  2. adjective satellite emotionally purging
    psychotherapeutic.
  3. adjective satellite emotionally purging (of e.g. art)
    releasing.
  4. adjective satellite strongly laxative
    evacuant; purgative.

WordNet

Ca*thar"tic, Ca*thar"ic*al adjective (Also<
  • Cathartic
  • Catharical
)
Etymology
Gr. , fr. to cleanse, fr. pure; akin to F. chaste.
Definitions
  1. (Med.) Cleansing the bowels; promoting evacuations by stool; purgative.
  2. Of or pertaining to the purgative principle of senna, as cathartic acid.
Ca*thar"tic noun
Etymology
Gr. .
Definitions
  1. (Med.) A medicine that promotes alvine discharges; a purge; a purgative of moderate activity. ✍ 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.

Webster 1913