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purging. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
purging, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
purging in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
purging you have here. The definition of the word
purging will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
purging, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle English purgynge; equivalent to purge + -ing.
Pronunciation
Verb
purging
- present participle and gerund of purge
Noun
purging (countable and uncountable, plural purgings)
- The act or an instance of eliminating contamination: a purification, a cleansing, particularly:
- (chiefly politics) A removal of undesirable people.
- (chiefly chemistry) The cleansing of a device by flushing it with water, steam, or some other liquid or gas.
- The removal of waste from the human body, particularly:
- (premodern medicine) The removal of excess humors through bloodletting, induced vomiting, etc.
- (medicine) The removal of digested waste: defecation; defecation induced by laxatives.
- (chiefly medicine) Vomiting; vomiting induced by purgatives.
1849, The Journal of Health and Disease, page 98:He had violent pains in his belly, and purgings...
- (obsolete and rare) That which is purged: contamination, a contaminant; refuse; sin; etc.
- (obsolete and rare) Synonym of purgation: the act or an instance of removing guilt or suspicion of a misdeed.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
References
- "purging, n." in the Oxford English Dictionary (2007), Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Middle English
Noun
purging
- Alternative form of purgynge