Crossword clues for carminative
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Carminative \Car*min"ative\, a. [NL. carminativus (1622), fr.
carminare to card, hence to cleanse, fr. carmen a card for
freeing wool or flax from the coarser parts, and from
extraneous matter: cf. F. carminatif.]
Expelling wind from the body; warming; antispasmodic.
``Carminative hot seeds.''
--Dunglison.
Carminative \Car*min"a*tive\, n. A substance, esp. an aromatic, which tends to expel wind from the alimentary canal, or to relieve colic, griping, or flatulence.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
early 15c., from Latin carminat- (past participle stem of carminare "to card," from carmen, genitive carminis, "a card for wool or flax," which is related to carrere "to card;" see card (v.2)) + -ive. As a noun from 1670s.\n\nA medical term from the old theory of humours. The object of carminatives is to expel wind, but the theory was that they dilute and relax the gross humours from whence the wind arises, combing them out like knots in wool.
[Hensleigh Wedgwood, "A Dictionary of English Etymology," 1859-65]
Wiktionary
a. Relieving discomfort of gas in the digestive tract. n. (context medicine English) A drug or substance that induces the removal of gas from the digestive tract.
WordNet
adj. relieving gas in the alimentary tract (colic or flatulence or griping) [syn: flatus-relieving]
n. medication that prevents the formation of gas in the alimentary tract or eases its passing
Wikipedia
A carminative, also known as carminativum ( plural carminativa), is an herb or preparation intended to either prevent formation of gas in the gastrointestinal tract or facilitate the expulsion of said gas, thereby combatting flatulence.
Usage examples of "carminative".
The carminative virtues of burgundy, of rum, of old brandy, of Lacryma Christi, of Marsala, of Aleatico, of stout, of gin, of champagne, of claret, of the raw new wine of this year's Tuscan vintage—I compared them, I classified them.
And now"—Denis spread out his hands, palms upwards, despairingly—"now I know what carminative really means.
There were the years—years of childhood and innocence—when I had believed that carminative meant—well, carminative.
And now, before me lies the rest of my life—a day, perhaps, ten years, half a century, when I shall know that carminative means windtreibend.
It is a local stimulant to the mucous membrane, especially to the alimentary tract, and therefore is a remedy of great value as a carminative in flatulent colic and a useful addition to laxative medicine.
A direct emmenagogue, a tonic in dyspepsia, an expectorant in the absence of feverish symptoms, a stimulant to the mucous tissues, a stomachic carminative, exciting appetite and the flow of gastric juice, and an astringent wash.