Crossword clues for laxative
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Laxative \Lax"a*tive\, a. [L. laxativus mitigating, assuaging: cf. F. laxatif. See Lax, a.]
Having a tendency to loosen or relax.
--Milton.(Med.) Having the effect of loosening or opening the intestines, and relieving from constipation; -- opposed to astringent. -- n. (Med.) A laxative medicine. See the Note under Cathartic.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
late 14c., from Old French laxatif (13c.), from Medieval Latin laxativus "loosening," from Latin laxatus, past participle of laxare "loosen," from laxus "loose, lax" (see lax). The noun meaning "a laxative medicine" is from late 14c.
Wiktionary
a. Having the effect of moving the bowels, or aiding digestion and preventing constipation. n. Any substance, such as a food or in the form of a medicine which has a laxative effect.
WordNet
adj. stimulating evacuation of feces [ant: costive]
n. a mild cathartic
Wikipedia
Laxatives (purgatives, aperients) are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary based on how they work and the side effects they have. Certain stimulant, lubricant and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the colon for rectal and bowel examinations, and may be supplemented by enemas under certain circumstances. Sufficiently high doses of laxatives may cause diarrhea.
Some laxatives combine more than one active ingredient. Laxatives may be oral or suppository in form.
Usage examples of "laxative".
The juice of its berries is aperient, without being irritating, and is well suited as a laxative for persons of delicate constitution.
In France these Psyllium seeds, given in a dessertspoonful dose, are widely prescribed as a laxative in lieu of mineral aperient waters, or the morning Seidlitz.
Physic, Black-root, Tall Speedwell, and Indian Physic, is a certain cholagogue, laxative, and cathartic.
Warning signs include extreme preoccupation with weight, strict dieting followed by high-calorie eating binges, overeating when distressed, feeling out of control, disappearing after a meal, depressive moods, alcohol or drug abuse, frequent use of laxatives or diuretics, excessive exercising, and irregularities in menstrual cycle.
If eaten as a spring salad, or boiled like spinach, the leaves are pungent, and slightly laxative.
The young shoots peeled and boiled may be eaten as asparagus, and are gently laxative.
They advocate bloodletting, laxatives, hot fomentations, a potion of hydromel mixed with hyssop, and lozenges made from galbanum and turpentine resin.
The table held more pill bottles than ever-Selestone for his asthma, Ativan to help him sleep, naproxen for infections-along with a powdered milk mix and laxatives.
But thoughtful Pointsman, anticipating this, has been sending laxative pills with her meals.
If all the advertising in the world were to shut down tomorrow, would people still go on buying more soap, eating more apples, giving their children more vitamins, roughage, milk, olive oil, scooters and laxatives, learning more languages by gramophone, hearing more virtuosos by radio, re-decorating their houses, refreshing themselves with more non-alcoholic thirst-quenchers, cooking more new, appetizing dishes, affording themselves that little extra touch which means so much?
In these woods, yew bark is harvested to make taxol for cancer patients, and cascara bark is harvested for laxatives.
This is much used as a domestic remedy, and by the profession, for its laxative, tonic, and astringent effects.
Two pharmaceutically brown bottles on top, procaine and mannitol, dental anesthetic and baby laxative.
Men with cut fingers, bleeding heads, stomach cramps and broken ankles came limping penitently up to the medical tent to have their gums and toes painted purple by Gus and Wes and be given a laxative to throw into the bushes.
There was a partial absence of the peritoneal sac, and the obstruction readily yielded to a clyster and laxative.