laxative
/'læksətiv/
Definition
Adjective:
- Having the effect of loosening the bowels and relieving constipation: Describes a substance, food, or medicine that stimulates or facilitates bowel movements.
Noun:
- A substance, typically a medicine, taken to stimulate bowel movements: A mild cathartic agent used to treat constipation.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- Prunes are known for their laxative effect.
- The doctor recommended a diet high in laxative foods like fruits and vegetables.
Noun:
- She took a gentle laxative to relieve her discomfort.
- Some over-the-counter laxatives should be used only for short periods.
Advanced Usage
- "Laxative abuse": The excessive or improper use of laxatives, often associated with certain eating disorders.
- The patient was treated for health complications resulting from laxative abuse.
Variants and Related Words
- Laxity (noun): The state of being loose, slack, or not strict. (Note: This is a different, though etymologically related, word primarily concerning looseness or lack of strictness, not bowel function).
- Cathartic (noun/adjective): A more general term for a substance that accelerates defecation or, figuratively, provides emotional release.
Synonyms
- Purgative (noun/adjective): A substance that strongly evacuates the bowels; often stronger than a laxative.
- Aperient (noun/adjective): A mild laxative (formal/medical term).
Related Phrases
- Bulk-forming laxative: A type of laxative that works by increasing the volume of stool.
- Stimulant laxative: A type of laxative that acts on the intestinal nerves to stimulate movement.
Adjective
-
stimulating evacuation of feces
Noun
-
a mild cathartic
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