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purge definition

purge (pʉrj)

transitive verb purged, purging purg′·ing

  1. to cleanse or rid of impurities, foreign matter, or undesirable elements
  2. to cleanse of guilt, sin, or ceremonial defilement
  3. to remove by cleansing; clear (away, off, or out)
    1. to rid (a nation, political party, etc.) of individuals held to be disloyal or undesirable
    2. to kill or otherwise get rid of (such individuals)
  5. Law to free from a charge or imputation of guilt
  6. Med.
    1. to empty (the bowels)
    2. to cause (a person) to empty the bowels

Etymology: ME purgen < OFr purgier < L purgare, to cleanse < purus, clean (see pure) + agere, to do: see act

intransitive verb

  1. to become clean, clear, or pure
  2. to have or effect a thorough bowel movement

noun

  1. the act of purging
  2. that which purges; esp., a purgative, or cathartic
  3. the process of ridding a nation, political party, etc. of individuals held to be disloyal or undesirable

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

medical purge definition - medical

purge Synonyms

purge

n.

  1. Cleansing

    abstersion, clarification, expurgation; see cleaning, purification.

  2. Excretion

    defecation, evacuation, catharsis; see excretion 1.

  3. Elimination

    eradication, disposal, murder, removal, liquidation, extermination, annihilation, extirpation, assassination, abolition, extinction, disposition, expulsion, ejection; see also destruction 1.


purge

v.

  1. To cleanse

    clear, purify, clarify; see clean, excrete.

  2. To eliminate

    liquidate, exterminate, dispose of; see abolish, forbid, kill 1, prevent.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

purge Usage Examples

Object

  • valve: Another one could be a sticking carbon canister purge valve.

Converse of object

  • downloading: Webmail Users Delete the email without downloading the attachment Purge your trash folder All Users We recommend protecting your PC and data from viruses.

Adjective modifier

  • bloody: Saddam's first period in office witnessed a bloody purge of the Iraqi left.

Modifies a noun

  • air: This is due to the cost of the purge air which the heatless dryers use in larger quantities than do heat regenerative types.

Modifying Another Word

  • then: Someone with bulimia will have a very chaotic eating pattern where they binge eat and then purge ( get rid of their food ).

Noun used with modifier

  • attachment: Webmail Users Delete the email without downloading the attachment Purge your trash folder All Users We recommend protecting your PC and data from viruses.

Particle object: out_obj

  • leaven: So the exercise in chapter 5 is to purge out all leaven that " ye may be a new lump.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • away: Thy blood so freely spilled, can blanch my blackest stains and purge away my guilt.
purge usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

purge quotes

Behold, thoudesiresttruth intheinward parts: and inthe hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

-Bible (Old Testament)

Every book is like a purge; at the end of it one is empty†likea dryshell onthebeach, waiting for thetide to come in again.

-du Maurier, Dame Daphne

purge quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"purge." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/purge>

APA Style

purge. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/purge

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