cathartic meaning
EN
[-ɑː(r)tɪk] WCathartic
- In medicine, a cathartic is a substance that accelerates defecation. This is in contrast to a laxative, which is a substance which eases defecation, usually by softening feces. It is possible for a substance to be both a laxative and a cathartic.
- Cathartics such as sorbitol, magnesium citrate, magnesium sulfate, or sodium sulfate were previously used as a form of gastrointestinal decontamination following poisoning via ingestion. They are no longer routinely recommended for poisonings.
- During the 1918 flu pandemic, cathartics were used in the Fort Lewis, WA, area. An original report by Elizabeth J. Davies, a public health nurse, mentions cathartics, pneumonia jackets and copious amount of drinks as treatments for influenza patients.
- NounPLcatharticsSUF-tic
- A laxative.
- A laxative.
- AdjectiveCOMmore catharticSUPmost cathartic
Definition of cathartic in English Dictionary
- Part-of-Speech Hierarchy
- Adjectives
- Nouns
- Countable nouns
- Countable nouns
- Adjectives
- en cathartick
- en cathartics
- en cathartical
- en catharticals
- en cathartically
Source: Wiktionary
Grammatically, this word "cathartic" is an adjective. It's also a noun, more specifically, a countable noun.