irritative

American  

[ir-i-tey-tiv] / ˈɪr ɪˌteɪ tɪv /

adjective

1. serving or tending to irritate.

2. Pathology. characterized or produced by irritation of some body part.

   an irritative fever.

---

Other Word Forms

• irritativeness noun
• unirritative adjective

Etymology

Origin of irritative

First recorded in 1680–90; irritate + -ive

Example Sentences

"We are recording a surge in the number of irritative bronchitis infections," Jugal Kishore, the head of the medicine department at the city's Safdarjung Hospital, told PTI news agency.

From BBC • Nov. 2, 2023

Lesions are often both irritative and destructive, and lead to paralysis of one or more groups of muscles associated with spasms and convulsions of the muscles governed by neighbouring areas of the cortex.

From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander

Extra-medullary Hæmorrhage—Hæmatorrachis.—The symptoms associated with extra-medullary hæmorrhage are at first of an irritative kind—muscular cramps and jerkings, radiating pains along the course of the nerves pressed upon, and hyperæsthesia.

From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander

Incitantia, or those things which increase the exertions of all the irritative motions.

From Zoonomia, Vol. II Or, the Laws of Organic Life by Darwin, Erasmus

In the same way treatment of irritative or degenerative conditions in the throat and larynx, as well as in the nose, may be considered directly curative.

From Psychotherapy by Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)