purgation
[noun]
Synonyms: purification, catharsis, cleansing, expurgation, lustration

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

purgation noun. [pǝ:'geɪʃ(ǝ)n] LME.
[Old & mod. French, or Latin purgatio(n-), from purgat- pa. ppl stem of purgare PURGE verb: see -ATION.]
1. The action of making physically clean by the removal of dirt or waste matter. LME.

2. Moral or spiritual purification; spec. in the Roman Catholic Church, the purification of a soul in purgatory. LME.

3. a. The expulsion of ingested material from the body. Now only, the evacuation of the bowels, esp. as a result of taking a laxative. LME.
b. A laxative. Also, an emetic. LME-L17.
c. Menstruation; in pl. the menstrual discharge. Also, the lochia. M16-M18.

4. Ceremonial cleansing from defilement. Now rare. LME.

5. Law (now Hist.). The action of clearing oneself from accusation or suspicion by an oath or ordeal. LME.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲