laxative

English

Etymology

From Middle French laxatif, from Latin laxātīvus (literally “relaxing, loosening”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlæk.sə.tɪv/

Adjective

laxative (comparative more laxative, superlative most laxative)

1. Having the effect of moving the bowels, or aiding digestion and preventing constipation.
   • 1624, Philip Barrough [i.e., Philip Barrow], “Of Making Bolus”, in The Method of Physick, Contaning^[sic] the Cavses, Signes, and Cvres of Inward Diseases in Mans Body, from the Head to the Foote. Whereunto is Added, The Forme and Rule of Making Remedies and Medicines, which Our Physitions Commonly Vse at this Day, with the Proportion, Quantity, and Names of Each Medicine, book VII, 6th edition, London: Imprinted by Richard Field, dwelling in great Woodstreete, OCLC 79430651, page 397:

     Bolvs in Engliſh is called a morſell. It is a medicine laxatiue, in forme and faſhion it is meanely whole, and it is ſwallowed by little gobbets.

Translations

causing movement of the bowels

• Arabic: مُلَيّن‎
• Bulgarian: разхлабителен (razhlabitelen)
• Danish: afføringsmiddel
• Dutch: laxerend (nl), laxerende (nl), purgerend (nl)
• Estonian: lahtistav
• Finnish: laksatiivinen (fi)
• French: laxatif (fr) m
• German: Abführmittel (de) n
• Greek: καθαρτικός (el) m (kathartikós), υπακτικός (el) m (ypaktikós)

  Ancient: καθαρτικός (kathartikós)

• Hungarian: hashajtó (hu)

• Irish: scaoilteach
• Maori: whakatiko
• Norwegian: avføringsmiddel
• Portuguese: laxante (pt)
• Russian: слаби́тельный (ru) (slabítelʹnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: лаксативaн m, laksativan m
• Spanish: laxante (es)
• Swedish: laxerande (sv)
• Tagalog: palambut-dumi

See also

• minorative (“gently laxative”)

Noun

laxative (plural laxatives)

1. Any substance, such as a food or in the form of a medicine which has a laxative effect.

Coordinate terms

• diuretic — urination

Translations

substance with a laxative effect

• Catalan: laxant (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 瀉藥, 泻药 (se³joek⁶)

  Mandarin: 輕瀉劑, 轻泻剂 (qīngxièjì), 瀉藥 (zh), 泻药 (zh) (xièyào), 通泄藥, 通泄药 (tōngxièyào)

  Min Nan: 瀉藥 (zh-min-nan), 泻药 (siàio̍h), 瀉藥仔 (zh-min-nan), 泻药仔 (siàio̍há)

• Czech: projímadlo (cs) n
• Danish: afføringsmiddel n
• Dutch: laxeermiddel (nl) n
• Erzya: пскиньменге (pskinʹmenge)
• Estonian: lahtisti
• Finnish: laksatiivi (fi)
• French: laxatif (fr) m, purgatif (fr) m

  Middle French: minorative f

• German: Abführmittel (de) n, Laxativum n, Laxans n
• Greek: καθαρτικό (el) n (kathartikó), υπακτικό (el) n (ypaktikó)
• Hindi: रेचक (hi) (recak)
• Hungarian: hashajtó (hu)
• Irish: purgóid f
• Italian: lassativo (it) m

• Japanese: 瀉下薬 (しゃげやく, shageyaku), 下剤 (げざい, gezai), 下薬 (げやく, geyaku), 下し薬 (くだしぐすり, kudashi-gusuri)
• Korean: 변비약 (byeonbiyak)
• Maori: rongoā whakatiko
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: avføringsmiddel n, laksativ n

  Nynorsk: avføringsmiddel n, laksativ n

• Portuguese: laxante (pt) m
• Romansch: purgiativ m
• Russian: слаби́тельное (ru) n (slabítelʹnoje)
• Serbo-Croatian: лаксатив m
• Spanish: laxante (es) m
• Swedish: laxermedel (sv), laxativ (sv)
• Thai: ยาถ่าย (yaa-tàai)
• Tibetan: བཤལ་སྨན (bshal sman)
• Volapük: jiedamedin (vo)
• Welsh: moddion gweithio m or m pl, ffisig gweithio m

See also

• minorative (“a gentle laxative”)

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French

Adjective

laxative

1. feminine singular of laxatif