cathartic
1 of 2noun/kəˈθɑrtɪk/
Forms:cathartics
1
a medicine or substance that causes the bowels to empty
- The doctor prescribed a strong cathartic before the surgery.
- Castor oil was once a common cathartic in households.
- The patient was given a mild cathartic to relieve constipation.
- Overuse of a cathartic can lead to dehydration.
- The herbal cathartic worked within a few hours.