laxative

/'læksətiv/

Thân thiện

A doctor recommends a laxative for occasional constipation.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Having the effect of loosening the bowels and relieving constipation: Describes a substance, food, or medicine that stimulates or facilitates bowel movements.

2. 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.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. stimulating evacuation of feces

Noun

1. a mild cathartic