Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Nearby Words

aperient

 - 4 dictionary results

a⋅per⋅i⋅ent

  [uh-peer-ee-uhnt] Medicine/Medical
Use aperient in a Sentence
–adjective
1. having a mild purgative or laxative effect.
–noun
2. a medicine or food that acts as a mild laxative.
Also called aperitive.

Origin:
1620–30; < L aperient- (s. of aperiēns opening, prp. of aperīre to open), equiv. to aperi- (appar. ap-, var. of ab- ab- + -eri-) + -ent- -ent; the base -eri-, perh. with an earlier shape *wery- or *twery-, occurs only in this verb and operīre to close (see cover, operculum )
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To aperient
a·pe·ri·ent   (ə-pîr'ē-ənt)   
adj.  Gently stimulating evacuation of the bowels; laxative.
n.  A mild laxative.

[Latin aperiēns, aperient-, present participle of aperīre, to open; see wer-4 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1ape·ri·ent
Pronunciation: &-'pir-E-&nt
Function: adjective
: gently causing the bowels to move : LAXATIVE

Main Entry: 2aperient
Function: noun
: an aperient agent
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see aperient on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way