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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

purge       (pûrj)  Pronunciation Key  v.   purged, purg·ing, purg·es v.   tr. To free from impurities; purify. To remove (impurities and other elements) by or as if by cleansing. To rid (a nation or political party, for example) of people considered undesirable. To get rid of (people considered undesirable). See Synonyms at eliminate. To cause evacuation of (the bowels). To induce evacuation of the bowels in (an individual). To rid of sin, guilt, or defilement. Law To clear (a person) of a charge or an imputation. Often used with respect to contempt of court. To rid (a nation or political party, for example) of people considered undesirable. To get rid of (people considered undesirable). See Synonyms at eliminate. To cause evacuation of (the bowels). To induce evacuation of the bowels in (an individual). Medicine To cause evacuation of (the bowels). To induce evacuation of the bowels in (an individual). v.   intr. To become pure or clean. Medicine To undergo or cause an emptying of the bowels. n.   The act or process of purging. Something that purges, especially a medicinal purgative. [Middle English purgen, from Old French purgier, from Latin pūrgāre, from pūrus, pure; see peuə- in Indo-European roots.] purg'er n.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
purge  (v.)

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

purge
noun
1.	the act of clearing yourself (or another) from some stigma or charge
2.	an act of removing by cleansing; ridding of sediment or other undesired elements
3.	an abrupt or sudden removal of a person or group from an organization or place; "he died in a purge by Stalin"
verb
1.	oust politically; "Deng Xiao Ping was purged several times throughout his lifetime" [ant: rehabilitate]
2.	clear of a charge
3.	make pure or free from sin or guilt; "he left the monastery purified" [syn: purify]
4.	rid of impurities; "purge the water"; "purge your mind"
5.	rinse, clean, or empty with a liquid; "flush the wound with antibiotics"; "purge the old gas tank" [syn: flush]
6.	eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth; "After drinking too much, the students vomited"; "He purged continuously"; "The patient regurgitated the food we gave him last night" [syn: vomit] [ant: keep down]
7.	excrete or evacuate (someone's bowels or body); "The doctor decided that the patient must be purged"

American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

purge (pûrj)
v. purged, purg·ing, purg·es
To cause evacuation of the bowels. n.

1. The act or process of purging.
2. Something that purges, especially a medicinal purgative.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: purge
Pronunciation: 'p&rj
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: purged; purg·ing
1 : to clear (as oneself or another) of guilt <purged himself of contempt>
2 : to become no longer guilty of <purge the contempt>

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Purge

Purge\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Purged; p. pr. & vb. n. Purging.] [F. purger, L. purgare; purus pure + agere to make, to do. See Pure, and Agent.]

1. To cleanse, clear, or purify by separating and carrying off whatever is impure, heterogeneous, foreign, or superfluous. "Till fire purge all things new." --Milton.

2. (Med.) To operate on as, or by means of, a cathartic medicine, or in a similar manner.

3. To clarify; to defecate, as liquors.

4. To clear of sediment, as a boiler, or of air, as a steam pipe, by driving off or permitting escape.

5. To clear from guilt, or from moral or ceremonial defilement; as, to purge one of guilt or crime.

When that he hath purged you from sin. --Chaucer.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. --Ps. li. 7.

6. (Law) To clear from accusation, or the charge of a crime or misdemeanor, as by oath or in ordeal.

7. To remove in cleansing; to deterge; to wash away; -- often followed by away.

Purge away our sins, for thy name's sake. --Ps. lxxix. 9.

We 'll join our cares to purge away Our country's crimes. --Addison.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Purge

Purge\, v. i. 1. To become pure, as by clarification.

2. To have or produce frequent evacuations from the intestines, as by means of a cathartic.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Purge

Purge\, n. [Cf. F. purge. See Purge, v. t.]

1. The act of purging.

The preparative for the purge of paganism of the kingdom of Northumberland. --Fuller.

2. That which purges; especially, a medicine that evacuates the intestines; a cathartic. --Arbuthnot.