purge means an act or instance of purging.
purge is pronounced /pɜːd͡ʒ/.
Why “purge” is a great word
To rid something of unwanted or impure elements through a thorough cleansing or removal. Its lineage runs from Middle English *purgen*, from Old French *purgier*, from Latin *pūrgō* (to make pure, to cleanse), itself from *pūrus* (clean, pure) + *agō* (to make, to do). Unlike “cleanse,” which suggests a gentler washing, or “expel,” which merely forces out, to purge is to act with a violent, corrective finality. It is the scorched field after the fire, the state disappearing its enemies, the finger down the throat after the feast—a testament to the belief that purity can be carved from corruption, and a quiet recognition of the hollow breath that remains.
Etymology
From Middle English purgen, from Old French purgier, from Latin pūrgō (“to make pure, to cleanse”), from pūrus (“clean, pure”) + agō (“to make, to do”).
noun
- An act or instance of purging.
- An evacuation of the bowels or the stomach; a defecation or vomiting.
- Something which or someone who purges; especially, a medicine that evacuates the intestines; a cathartic.“he prescribes a Purge or a Vomit”
- A forcible removal of people, for example, from political activity.“Stalin liked to ensure that his purges were irreversible.”
- An act or instance of the cleansing of pipes.
- A red or reddish liquid that seeps out from raw muscular meat consisting mostly of water and protein; "meat juice".
- The temporarily worsening of acne due to the introduction of skincare products that increase cell turnover, bringing underlying blemishes to the surface more quickly.
verb
- To clean thoroughly; to rid of impurities; to cleanse; to clear of (something unwanted).“After the process, the machine purges the chamber before venting it to remove toxic gases.”
- To remove by cleansing; to wash away.
- To free from sin, guilt, or burden.“Purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.”
- To evacuate (the bowels or the stomach); to defecate or vomit.
- To cause someone to purge; to operate (on somebody) using a cathartic or emetic, or in a similar manner.“"What did they die of?” I asked. / "Fevers. The doctor came and bled them and purged them, but they still died." / "He bled and purged babies?" / "They were two and three. He said it would break the fever. And it did. But they … they died anyway."”
- To forcibly remove, for example, from political activity.“Deng Xiaoping was purged twice during the Cultural Revolution, but managed to return to power after Mao's death.”
- To forcibly remove people by an organization.“Cromwell had Colonel Pride purge Parliament of royalists who opposed Charles I's execution.”
- To clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation.
- To clarify; to clear the dregs from (liquor).
- To become pure, as by clarification.
- To have or produce frequent evacuations from the intestines, as by means of a cathartic.
- To trim, dress, or prune.
- Of topical skincare: to force underlying acne to rise to the surface in response to ingredients that increase cell turnover, causing a temporary increase in blemishes.“Differin is purging my skin.”
- Of skin: to undergo the process of purging.“My skin is purging.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- abstersion 87% match — Act of wiping clean; a cleansing; a purging. vs purge →
- depuration 85% match — The removal of impurities, especially from bodily fluids; purification, cleansing. vs purge →
- expurgate 85% match — To edit out (incorrect, offensive, or otherwise undesirable information) from a book or other publication; to cleanse; to purge. vs purge →
- emaculate 84% match — To clear from spots or stains, or from any imperfection. vs purge →
- exorcise 84% match — To drive out (an evil spirit) from a person, place or thing, especially by an incantation or prayer. vs purge →
- extermination 84% match — The act of exterminating; total destruction or eradication. vs purge →
- riddance 83% match — An act of ridding, clearance, or removal; elimination. vs purge →
- eradication 83% match — The act of plucking up by the roots; an uprooting or rooting out; extirpation; utter destruction. vs purge →