laxative

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlæk.sə.tɪv/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adjective

laxative (comparative more laxative, superlative most laxative)

1. Having the effect of moving the bowels, or aiding digestion and preventing constipation.
   • 1583, Philip Barrough [i.e., Philip Barrow], “Of Making Bolus”, in The Methode of Phisicke, Conteyning the Causes, Signes, and Cures of Inward Diseases in Mans Body from the Head to the Foote. […], London: […] Thomas Vautroullier […], →OCLC, book VI, page 288:

     BOlvs in Engliſh is called a morſell. It is a medicine laxatiue, in forme & faſhion it is meanely whole, & it is ſwallowed by litle gobbets.

Translations

causing movement of the bowels

• Arabic: مُلَيّن
• Bulgarian: разхлабителен (razhlabitelen)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 致泄的

• Dutch: laxerend (nl), laxerende (nl), purgerend (nl)
• Estonian: lahtistav
• Finnish: laksatiivinen (fi)
• French: laxatif (fr)
• Greek: καθαρτικός (el) (kathartikós), υπακτικός (el) (ypaktikós)

  Ancient: καθαρτικός (kathartikós)

• Hungarian: hashajtó (hu)
• Irish: scaoilteach
• Malay: julap (ms),​ pelawas​
• Maori: whakatiko
• Polish: przeczyszczający (pl)
• Portuguese: laxante (pt)
• Russian: слаби́тельный (ru) (slabítelʹnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: лаксативaн m, laksativan m
• Spanish: laxante (es)
• Swedish: laxerande (sv)
• Tagalog: palambut-dumi
• Turkish: laksatif

See also

• constipative
• 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.
   • 2023 September 12, Arwa Mahdawi, “The US has such a love affair with laxatives that there is now a national shortage. This is not normal”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:

     According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, the US is having a love affair with laxatives; Americans of all ages are ingesting so much of the stuff that there are now shortages nationwide.

Coordinate terms

• carminative – gas
• diuretic — urination

Translations

substance with a laxative effect

• Catalan: laxant (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 瀉藥／泻药 (se³ joek⁶)

  Hokkien: 瀉藥／泻药 (zh-min-nan) (sià-io̍h), 瀉藥仔／泻药仔 (zh-min-nan) (sià-io̍h-á)

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

• Czech: projímadlo (cs) n
• Danish: afføringsmiddel n
• Dutch: laxeermiddel (nl) n
• Erzya: пскиньменге (pskińmenge)
• Esperanto: laksigilo
• 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 (ja) (しゃげやく, shageyaku), 下剤 (ja) (げざい, gezai), 下薬 (ja) (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

• Polish: środek przeczyszczający m
• 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)
• Vietnamese: thuốc xổ (vi), thuốc nhuận tràng
• Volapük: jiedamedin (vo)
• Welsh: moddion gweithio m or m pl, ffisig gweithio m

See also

• minorative (“a gentle laxative”)

French

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

laxative

1. feminine singular of laxatif