CATHARTIC

Cathartic

In medicine, a cathartic is a substance that accelerates defecation. This is in contrast to a laxative, which is a substance which eases defecation, usually by softening feces. It is possible for a substance to be both a laxative and a cathartic. However, agents such as psyllium seed husks increase the bulk of the feces.

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cathartic

Noun

  1. A laxative

Adjective

  1. purgative; inducing catharsis
  2. That releases emotional tension, especially after an overwhelming experience


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: cathartic
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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