Definition

Noun: 1. A medical procedure involving the injection of a liquid into the rectum via the anus, typically to stimulate bowel evacuation or for diagnostic purposes. This is an older, more technical term for an enema.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The 18th-century medical text recommended a clyster for treating severe constipation.
  • In historical treatments, a clyster was sometimes administered to cleanse the bowels before surgery.

Advanced Usage

• The term is largely archaic in modern everyday English and has been almost entirely replaced by the word "enema" in both medical and lay contexts. It is primarily encountered in historical or literary texts.

Variants and Related Words

• Enema (n): The modern, standard term for the same procedure.
  • The patient was given an enema before the colonoscopy.

Synonyms

• Enema
• Rectal injection (clinical term)

Noun

1. an injection of a liquid through the anus to stimulate evacuation; sometimes used for diagnostic purposes