a. [ Gr.
n. (Med.) An anacathartic medicine; an expectorant or an emetic. [ archaic ] [ 1913 Webster + AS ]
n.
n.
See catherine wheel. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ LL. catharista, fr. Gr. &unr_; clean, pure. ] One aiming at or pretending to a greater purity of like than others about him; -- applied to persons of various sects. See Albigenses. [ 1913 Webster ]
‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_;. See Cathartic. ] (Med.)
n. [ Gr. &unr_;. ] (Med.) A medicine that promotes alvine discharges; a purge; a purgative of moderate activity. [ 1913 Webster ]
☞ 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.
--
n. (Chem.) The bitter, purgative principle of senna. It is a glucoside with the properties of a weak acid; -- called also
n. [ Gr. &unr_; down + &unr_; serving to purge. See Cathartic. ] (Med.) A remedy that purges by alvine discharges. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ Gr. &unr_; vomiting + E. cathartic. ] (Med.) Producing vomiting and purging at the same time.
n. purging of emotional tensions; -- usually spelled