1. The act of purging; the act of clearing, cleansing, or putifying, by separating and carrying off impurities,
or whatever is superfluous; the evacuation of the bowels.
2. (Law) The clearing of one's self from a crime of which one was publicly suspected and accused. It
was either canonical, which was prescribed by the canon law, the form whereof used in the spiritual
court was, that the person suspected take his oath that he was clear of the matter objected against him,
and bring his honest neighbors with him to make oath that they believes he swore truly; or vulgar, which
was by fire or water ordeal, or by combat. See Ordeal. Wharton.
Let him put me to my purgation.
Shak. Purgative
(Pur"ga*tive) a. [L. purgativus: cf. F. purgatif.] Having the power or quality of purging; cathartic.
— n. (Med.) A purging medicine; a cathartic.
Purgatively
(Pur"ga*tive*ly), adv. In a purgative manner.
Purgatorial
(Pur`ga*to"ri*al Pur`ga*to"ri*an) a. Of or pertaining to purgatory; expiatory.
Purgatorian
(Pur`ga*to"ri*an), n. One who holds to the doctrine of purgatory. Boswell.
Purgatory
(Pur"ga*to*ry) a. [L. purgatorius.] Tending to cleanse; cleansing; expiatory. Burke.
Purgatory
(Pur"ga*to*ry), n. [Cf. F. purgatoire.] A state or place of purification after death; according
to the Roman Catholic creed, a place, or a state believed to exist after death, in which the souls of persons
are purified by expiating such offenses committed in this life as do not merit eternal damnation, or in
which they fully satisfy the justice of God for sins that have been forgiven. After this purgation from the
impurities of sin, the souls are believed to be received into heaven.
Purge
(Purge) v. 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
(Purge), v. i.
1. To become pure, as by clarification.
