Pharmacologic Substance
cathartic
ca·thar·tic [ kuh-thahr-tik ]
Subclass of:
Gastrointestinal Agents
Etymology:
Greek katharsis = purification or purge, especially from guilt
Definitions related to cathartics:
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An agent with a strong laxative effect.Harvard Dictionary of Health TermsHarvard Medical Publishing, 2011
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Agents that are used to stimulate evacuation of the bowels.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.