laxative medicine
1Laxative — Something that loosens the bowels. Used to combat constipation (and sometimes overused, producing diarrhea). The word “laxative” comes from the Latin “laxare” meaning “to open, widen, extend, release.” * * * 1. Mildly cathartic; having the action …
2Laxative — Lax a*tive, a. [L. laxativus mitigating, assuaging: cf. F. laxatif. See {Lax}, a.] 1. Having a tendency to loosen or relax. Milton. [1913 Webster] 2. (Med.) Having the effect of loosening or opening the intestines, and relieving from… …
3laxative — (adj.) late 14c., from O.Fr. laxatif (13c.), from M.L. laxativus loosening, from L. laxatus, pp. of laxare loosen, from laxus loose, lax (see LAX (Cf. lax)). The noun meaning a laxative medicine is from late 14c …
4laxative — [lak′sə tiv] adj. [ME laxatif < OFr < ML laxativus < LL, mitigating < pp. of L laxare, to relax, slacken < laxus: see LAX] tending to make lax; specif., making the bowels loose and relieving constipation n. any laxative medicine;… …
5laxative — /ˈlæksətɪv / (say laksuhtiv) –noun 1. Medicine a laxative medicine or agent. –adjective 2. Medicine mildly purgative. 3. Pathology a. (of the bowels) subject to looseness. b. (of a disease) characterised by looseness of the bow …
6laxative — I. a. Loosening, aperient, deobstruent, purgative. II. n. Laxative medicine, purgative, aperient, deobstruent …
7laxative — adj. & n. adj. tending to stimulate or facilitate evacuation of the bowels. n. a laxative medicine. Etymology: ME f. OF laxatif ive or LL laxativus f. L laxare loosen (as LAX) …
8laxative — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ tending to stimulate or facilitate evacuation of the bowels. ► NOUN ▪ a laxative drug or medicine. ORIGIN from Latin laxare loosen …
9Laxative — Laxatives (purgatives, aperients) are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool, most often taken to treat constipation. Certain stimulant, lubricant, and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the colon for …
10medicine — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) n. medicament, medication, remedy; therapy, physic; medical profession. II (Roget s IV) n. 1. [The healing profession] Syn. medical men, healers, practitioners, doctors, physicians, surgeons, osteopaths …
