cathartic

(kə-thär'tĭk)
adj.
Inducing catharsis; purgative.

n.
An agent for purging the bowels, especially a laxative.

[Late Latin catharticus, from Greek kathartikos, from kathairein, to purge. See catharsis.]

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adjective

Of, relating to, or tending to eliminate: eliminative, eliminatory, evacuant, evacuative, excretory, purgative. See keep/release.

1. causing bowel evacuation, usually of liquid feces; an agent that so acts.
2. producing catharsis.

• bulk c. — one stimulating bowel evacuation by increasing fecal volume.
• irritant c. — contact irritants that directly or indirectly cause diarrhea. May cause superpurgation in susceptible animals, especially horses. Drastic purgatives such as croton oil are no longer used. Castor oil, danthron, senna and cascara are still used, but much less than more bland agents such as mineral oil.
• lubricant c. — one that acts by softening the feces and reducing friction between them and the intestinal wall.
• osmotic c. — agents which retain water into the intestinal lumen, thereby producing liquid feces; includes saline cathartics (below).
• saline c. — one that increases fluidity of intestinal contents by retention of water by osmotic forces, and indirectly increases motor activity.
• stimulant c. — one that directly increases motor activity of the intestinal tract.

For a list of words related to cathartic, see:

• PHARMACOLOGY - cathartic: laxative

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See words rhyming with "cathartic."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Cathartic.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - rensende, afførende
n. - afføringsmiddel

Nederlands (Dutch)
purgatief, betreffende/ leidend tot catharsis

Français (French)
adj. - cathartique
n. - (Méd) cathartique

Deutsch (German)
adj. - kathartisch, (Med.) abführend
n. - (Med.) Abführmittel

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - καθαρτήριος, καθαρτικός

Italiano (Italian)
catartico, purgativo

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - catártico, purgante

Русский (Russian)
оказывающий слабительное воздействие

Español (Spanish)
adj. - catártico, purgativo
n. - purgante, purga

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - laxerande, renande (litt.)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
通便的, 导泻的, 泻药, 通便药

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 通便的, 導瀉的
n. - 瀉藥, 通便藥

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 카타르시스를 일으키는, 배변을 촉진하는
n. - 변통약

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 下剤
adj. - 排便の, 下剤の

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) مطهر, مريح‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮משלשל (סם)‬
n. - ‮סם משלש‬

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