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   purge

   /pəːdʒ/

   verb

   • 1. rid (someone or something) of an unwanted quality, condition, or feeling: "Bob had helped purge Martha of the terrible guilt that had haunted her"
   • ▪ free someone or something from (an unwanted quality, condition, or feeling): "his hatred was purged" Similar cleanseclearpurifywashshriveabsolvefree someone frommake someone purerare:lustrate
   • 2. remove (a group of people considered undesirable) from an organization or place in an abrupt or violent way: "he purged all but 26 of the central committee members" Similar removeget rid ofclear outsweep outexpelejectexcludeevictdismisssackoustaxedeposeeradicateroot outweed outscourinformal:defenestrate
   • ▪ remove a group of undesirable people from (an organization or place) in an abrupt or violent way: "an opportunity to purge the party of unsatisfactory members" Similar ridclearcleanseemptystripscourvoidrare:depurate
   • 3. physically remove or expel (something) completely: "a substance designed to purge impurities from the body"
   • ▪ empty one’s stomach or bowels by inducing vomiting or using laxatives: "sufferers eat normally in summer but overeat and purge during winter"
   • 4. atone for or wipe out (contempt of court): "he has a right to apply to the court to purge his contempt"

   noun

   • 1. an abrupt or violent removal of a group of people: "many of us live in fear of a purge"
   • 2. a laxative: dated "in this plant was a milky substance which was a drastic purge"

   Word Origin Middle English (in the legal sense ‘clear oneself of a charge’): from Old French purgier, from Latin purgare ‘purify’, from purus ‘pure’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. purger noun

   Scrabble Points: 8

   • P

     3

   • U

     1

   • R

     1

   • G

     2

   • E

     1

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