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Webster 1913 Edition

Purge

Purge

,
Verb.
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.

Purge

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To become pure, as by clarification.
2.
To have or produce frequent evacuations from the intestines, as by means of a cathartic.

Purge

,
Noun.
[Cf. F.
purge
. See
Purge
,
Verb.
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.

Webster 1828 Edition

Purge

PURGE

,
Verb.
T.
purj. [L. purgo.]
1.
To cleanse or purify by separating and carrying off whatever is impure, heterogeneous,foreign or superfluous; as, to purge the body by evacuation; to purge the Augean stable. It is followed by away, of, or off. We say, to purge away or to purge off filth, and to purge a liquor of its scum.
2.
To clear from guilt or moral defilement; as,to purge one of guilt or crime; to purge away sin.
Purge away our sins, for thy name's sake. Ps.79.
Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Ps.51.
3.
To clear from accusation or the charge of a crime, as in ordeal.
4.
To remove what is offensive; to sweep away impurities. Ezek.20.
5.
To clarify; to defecate; as liquors.

PURGE

,
Verb.
I.
To become pure by clarification.
1.
To have frequent or preternatural evacuations by stool.

PURGE

,
Noun.
A medicine that evacuates the body by stool; a cathartic.

Definition 2024

purge

purge

See also: purgé

English

Noun

purge ‎(plural purges)

  1. An act of purging.
  2. (medicine) An evacuation of the bowels or a vomiting.
  3. A cleansing of pipes.
  4. A forcible removal of people, for example, from political activity.
    Stalin liked to ensure that his purges were not reversible.
  5. That which purges; especially, a medicine that evacuates the intestines; a cathartic.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Arbuthnot to this entry?)

Related terms

Translations

Verb

purge ‎(third-person singular simple present purges, present participle purging, simple past and past participle purged)

  1. (transitive) to clean thoroughly; to cleanse; to rid of impurities
  2. (transitive, religion) to free from sin, guilt, or the burden or responsibility of misdeeds
  3. (transitive) To remove by cleansing; to wash away.
    • Bible, Psalms lxxix. 9
      Purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.
    • Addison
      We'll join our cares to purge away / Our country's crimes.
  4. (transitive, medicine) to void (the bowels); to vomit.
  5. (transitive, medicine) To operate on (somebody) as a cathartic, or in a similar manner.
  6. (transitive, law) to clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation
  7. (transitive) To clarify; to clear the dregs from (liquor).
  8. (intransitive) To become pure, as by clarification.
  9. (intransitive) To have or produce frequent evacuations from the intestines, as by means of a cathartic.

Translations

French

Verb

purge

  1. first-person singular present indicative of purger
  2. third-person singular present indicative of purger
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of purger
  4. first-person singular present subjunctive of purger
  5. second-person singular imperative of purger

Norman

Noun

purge f ‎(plural purges)

  1. (Jersey) purgative

Etymology

From Middle English purgen, from Old French purgier, from Latin purgō ‎(“I make pure, I cleanse”), from purus ‎(“clean, pure”) + agō ‎(“I make, I do”).

Pronunciation

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