Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To clear (a container or space, for example) of something unclean or unwanted.
- intransitive verb To remove or eliminate (unwanted physical matter).
- intransitive verb To rid (a person or thing) of something unwanted.
- intransitive verb To remove or eliminate (an unwanted element).
- intransitive verb Law To clear (a person) of a charge or conviction.
- intransitive verb To rid (a nation or political party, for example) of people considered undesirable.
- intransitive verb To get rid of (people considered undesirable).
- intransitive verb To cause evacuation of (the bowels).
- intransitive verb To induce evacuation of the bowels in (an individual).
- intransitive verb To clear (a storage device) of unwanted data.
- intransitive verb To delete (unwanted data) from a storage device.
- intransitive verb Medicine To undergo or cause an emptying of the bowels.
- intransitive verb To vomit or force oneself to vomit, especially as a symptom of an eating disorder.
- noun The act or process of purging.
- noun Something that purges, especially a medicinal purgative.
- noun An instance of vomiting or of forcing oneself to vomit.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To vomit.
- noun The act of purging; purgation.
- noun Anything that purges; specifically, a medicine that evacuates the intestines; a cathartic.
- noun A plant of Virginia, probably Trinsteum perfoliatum, the root of which was used as a purgative by the aborigines.
- To cleanse or purify by separating and carrying off whatever is impure, heterogeneous, foreign, or superfluous; cleanse; clean, or clean out.
- To remove by some cleansing or purifying process or operation; clear or wash away: often followed by away and off.
- To clear from moral defilement or guilt: in this and next sense often followed by of or from.
- To clear from accusation of a crime, as by ordeal, or from charge of contempt, as by oath showing that there was no wrong intent; free from taint or suspicion of crime.
- To clarify; defecate, as liquors.
- To operate on by or as by means of a cathartic.
- To void.
- To trim.
- To become pure by clarification.
- To take a purge; produce evacuations from the intestines by means of a cathartic.
- To be cleansed or purified by the escape of certain gases, as a lake or river. See
purging , 2.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To become pure, as by clarification.
- intransitive verb To have or produce frequent evacuations from the intestines, as by means of a cathartic.
- noun The act of purging.
- noun That which purges; especially, a medicine that evacuates the intestines; a cathartic.
- transitive verb To cleanse, clear, or purify by separating and carrying off whatever is impure, heterogeneous, foreign, or superfluous.
- transitive verb (Med.) To operate on as, or by means of, a cathartic medicine, or in a similar manner.
- transitive verb To clarify; to defecate, as liquors.
- transitive verb To clear of sediment, as a boiler, or of air, as a steam pipe, by driving off or permitting escape.
- transitive verb To clear from guilt, or from moral or ceremonial defilement.
- transitive verb (Law) To clear from accusation, or the charge of a crime or misdemeanor, as by oath or in ordeal.
- transitive verb To remove in cleansing; to deterge; to wash away; -- often followed by
away .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun An act of
purging - noun medicine An evacuation of the bowels or a vomiting.
- noun A cleansing of pipes.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The left side of the street rallied against what they called a purge of Palestinians in the holy city, as its mayor prepared to give a speech nearby inside the University of Denver's concert hall.
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For all we know, he was fired -- but for all Frum knows, unless he knows more than he's telling, the "purge" is but a Frumian figment.
Most Likely to Secede James Taranto 2010
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Yes, the post season Wally purge is going strong on everything but ammo!
WAL-MART ALERT! 2010
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We should be magnanimous in victory — and whether Hoffman wins or loses, as long as Dede Scozzafava loses it is a victory — but we should demand accountability, we should demand a reckoning, and we should demand a purge from the party establishment of those people most responsible for the Republican disaster in NY-23.
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Yes, the post season Wally purge is going strong on everything but ammo!
WAL-MART ALERT! 2010
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A new purge is in the process now, but the conciliators and dealmakers of days gone by are already gone.
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Even worse these profits are being made off the healthy they will purge from the ponzi scheme when they be illin.
Think Progress » Health Insurance Industry Defends Massive Profits, Complains It Is Being ‘Vilified’ 2010
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The purge is on and there is no tolerance for moderate Republicans.
RNC resolution won't 'handcuff' Steele, co-sponsor says 2009
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Either way, archiving before you go on an inbox purge is a smart move.
Free Up Space In Gmail By Backing Up Everything First | Lifehacker Australia 2010
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But this, the decreased urge to purge, is worth it.
I've Got To Admit, It's Getting Better... kittenpie 2008
dailyword commented on the word purge
The fanfiction.net site staff did this to all the MA rated stories, causing some very angry authors.
June 13, 2012