| Learning / English Dictionary |
CATHARTIC
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels
Synonyms:
aperient; cathartic; physic; purgative
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("cathartic" is a kind of...):
medicament; medication; medicinal drug; medicine ((medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cathartic"):
aloes; bitter aloes (a purgative made from the leaves of aloe)
castor oil (a purgative extracted from the seed of the castor-oil plant; used in paint and varnish as well as medically)
Epsom salts ((used with a singular noun) hydrated magnesium sulfate used as a laxative)
laxative (a mild cathartic)
milk of magnesia (purgative consisting of a milky white liquid suspension of magnesium hydroxide; used as a laxative and (in smaller doses) as an antacid)
Rochelle powder; Seidlitz powder; Seidlitz powders (an effervescing salt containing sodium bicarbonate and Rochelle salt and tartaric acid; used as a cathartic)
Derivation:
cathartic (strongly laxative)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Strongly laxative
Synonyms:
cathartic; evacuant; purgative
Classified under:
Similar:
laxative (stimulating evacuation of feces)
Derivation:
catharsis (purging the body by the use of a cathartic to stimulate evacuation of the bowels)
cathartic (a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Emotionally purging (of e.g. art)
Synonyms:
cathartic; releasing
Classified under:
Similar:
emotional (of more than usual emotion)
Domain category:
art; artistic creation; artistic production (the creation of beautiful or significant things)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Emotionally purging
Synonyms:
cathartic; psychotherapeutic
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
healthful (conducive to good health of body or mind)
Derivation:
catharsis ((psychoanalysis) purging of emotional tensions)
