purging

purge

 (pûrj)

v. purged, purg·ing, purg·es

v.tr.

1.

a. To clear (a container or space, for example) of something unclean or unwanted: purge a water pipe of air.

b. To remove or eliminate (unwanted physical matter): purge the air from a water pipe.

2.

a. To rid (a person or thing) of something unwanted: "He had purged his brain of grandiose and debilitating dreams" (Tom Junod).

b. To remove or eliminate (an unwanted element): attempts to purge indecent remarks from company email.

3. Law To clear (a person) of a charge or conviction.

4.

a. To rid (a nation or political party, for example) of people considered undesirable.

b. To get rid of (people considered undesirable).

5. Medicine

a. To cause evacuation of (the bowels).

b. To induce evacuation of the bowels in (an individual).

6. Computers

a. To clear (a storage device) of unwanted data.

b. To delete (unwanted data) from a storage device.

v.intr.

1. Medicine To undergo or cause an emptying of the bowels.

2. To vomit or force oneself to vomit, especially as a symptom of an eating disorder.

n.

1. The act or process of purging: a purge of unwanted files.

2. Something that purges, especially a medicinal purgative.

3. An instance of vomiting or of forcing oneself to vomit.

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[Middle English purgen, from Old French purgier, from Latin pūrgāre, from pūrus, pure; see peuə- in Indo-European roots.]

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purg′er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	purging - an act of removing by cleansing; ridding of sediment or other undesired elements purge cleaning, cleansing, cleanup - the act of making something clean; "he gave his shoes a good cleaning" abreaction, catharsis, katharsis - (psychoanalysis) purging of emotional tensions katharsis, purgation, catharsis - purging the body by the use of a cathartic to stimulate evacuation of the bowels
	2.	purging - the act of clearing yourself (or another) from some stigma or charge purge, purgation purification - the act of purging of sin or guilt; moral or spiritual cleansing; "purification through repentance" clearing - the act of freeing from suspicion
Adj.	1.	purging - serving to purge or rid of sin; "purgatorial rites" purgatorial, purifying

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.