laxative
/ˈlaksətɪv
/adjective
(Chiefly of a drug or medicine) tending to stimulate or facilitate evacuation of the bowels: laxative drugs the laxative properties of sodium sulphate...
- If your baby is bottlefed and constipated, your doctor may suggest mixing a small amount of laxative medicine into the formula.
- That resulted in two stomach pumpings in the same week, and a more unfortunate and embarrassing incident of severe diarrhoea after swallowing 16 laxative pills.
- When I say hot chocolate, I mean used coffee grounds laced with crushed chocolate laxative tablets and cocoa powder.
noun
A medicine which has a laxative effect: he may prescribe a laxative to ease the congestion...
- If the diverticulitis is not severe, treatment will be with painkillers, antibiotics, laxatives and dietary advice.
- When taking a medical history, it is also important to take a dietary history to ask about the use of laxatives or diuretics.
- Does she take laxatives or diuretics to lose weight?
Synonyms
purgative, lenitive, aperient, cathartic, evacuant
rare eccoprotic
Origin
Late Middle English: via Old French laxatif, -ive or late Latin laxativus, from Latin laxare 'loosen' (from laxus 'loose').