evacuant

[ ih-vak-yoo-uhnt ]

adjective

1. evacuating; promoting thorough evacuation, especially from the bowels; cathartic; purgative.

noun

1. an evacuant medicine or agent; cathartic; purgative.

evacuant

/ ɪˈvækjʊənt /

adjective

1. serving to promote excretion, esp of the bowels

noun

1. an evacuant agent

Word History and Origins

Origin of evacuant¹

First recorded in 1720–30, evacuant is from the Latin word ēvacuant- (stem of ēvacuāns, present participle of ēvacuāre ). See evacuate, -ant

Example Sentences

If sufficient indigestible material is not taken with the food, there will not be sufficient residue left after digestion to call for the exercise of the evacuant function of the intestines, and the consequence will be sluggishness and failure to bring about daily movements.

From Project Gutenberg

I have not heard what was then done for her, but, between the 15th of June, and 25th of July, the Doctor, at his different visits, gave her various medicines of the deobstruent, tonic, antispasmodic, diuretic, and evacuant kinds.

From Project Gutenberg

This favourable state is indicated by an excessive flow of saliva, or what is called "dribbling," and by a considerable amount of relaxation of the bowels-a condition that must not be mistaken for diarrhoea, and checked as if a disease, but rather, for the day or two it continues, encouraged as a critical evacuant.

From Project Gutenberg