[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

cathartic \cathar"tic\, catharical \cathar"ical\, a. gr. ?,
   fr. ? to cleanse, fr. ? pure; akin to f. chaste.
   1. med. cleansing the bowels; promoting evacuations by
      stool; purgative.
      1913 webster

   2. of or pertaining to the purgative principle of senna, as
      cathartic acid.
      1913 webster

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

cathartic \cathar"tic\, n. gr. ?. med.
   a medicine that promotes alvine discharges; a purge; a
   purgative of moderate activity.
   1913 webster

   note: the cathartics are more energetic and certain in action
         that the laxatives, which simply increase the tendency
         to alvine evacuation; and less powerful and irritaint
         that the drastic purges, which cause profuse, repeated,
         and watery evacuations. -- cathar"tically, adv. --
         cathar"ticalness, n.
         1913 webster
see also:
cathar"tically cathar"ticalness 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

cathartic
     adj 1: emotionally purging syn: psychotherapeutic
     2: emotionally purging of e.g. art syn: releasing
     3: strongly laxative syn: evacuant, purgative
     n : a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels
         syn: purgative, physic, aperient
see also:
psychotherapeutic releasing evacuant purgative physic aperient 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

67 moby thesaurus words for "cathartic":
   abstergent, alleviating, alleviative, analgesic, anesthetic,
   anodyne, aperient, assuasive, balmy, balsamic, benumbing,
   carminative, cleaner, cleaning, cleaning agent, cleaning solvent,
   cleanser, cleansing, cleansing cream, cold cream, cream, deadening,
   demulcent, dentifrice, depurant, depurative, detergent, diuretic,
   dulling, easing, emetic, emollient, enema, expurgatory, holystone,
   laxative, lenitive, lotion, lustral, mitigating, mitigative,
   mouthwash, nauseant, numbing, pain-killing, palliative, physic,
   pumice stone, purgative, purge, purging, purificatory, purifier,
   purifying, relieving, remedial, rinse, shampoo, soap, softening,
   solvent, soothing, subduing, synthetic detergent, tooth powder,
   toothpaste, wash

Cathartic >> C Words
Cathartic, definition of term: Cathartic
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