Meanings
plural expectorants
- medicineAn agent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs.
The bedside table is littered with both OTC and prescription expectorants and pertussives and analgesics and Vitamin-C megaspansules[…]
1996, David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest […], Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN, page 601 more example
The disease was regarded as pneumonia so far advanced that suppuration seemed to have supervened; bleeding, blisters, expectorants, and cathartics diminished the symptoms; the pulse continued frequent, hard, full, but always regular.
1833, R. J. Bertin, translated by Charles W. Chauncy, Treatise on the Diseases of the Heart, and Great Vessels, Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Blnachard, page 165
- not comparablemedicineCausing or assisting the expulsion of phlegm.
an expectorant preparation
1 more example
‘Matchett says there’s old Mr P. who made all the money with ’is cought mixture—’ ‘Not Parkinsons ex . . . something?’ asked Jessamy. ‘That’s it,’ nodded Sarah, ‘ “Hexpectorant Posset”.’
1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 84Synonyms: expectorative
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveCausing or assisting the expulsion of phlegm.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Czech expektorancium
- expektoranciumagent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
Dutch slijmoplosser
- slijmoplosseragent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
Finnish ekspektorantti
- ekspektoranttiagent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
French expectorant
- expectorantagent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
German Schleimlöser, Abhustemittel
- Schleimlöseragent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
- Abhustemittelagent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
- Expektoransagent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
- Hustenlöseragent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
- schleimlösendes Mittelagent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
Greek αποχρεμπτικό
- αποχρεμπτικό (apochremptikó)agent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
Hungarian köptető, köptetőszer
- köptetőagent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
- köptetőszeragent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
Japanese 去痰薬
- 去痰薬 (kyotan'yaku)agent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
Korean 거담제
- 거담제 (geodamje)agent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
Polish środek wykrztuśny
- środek wykrztuśnyagent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
Portuguese expectorante
- expectoranteagent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
Russian отха́ркивающее сре́дство, отха́ркивающее
- отха́ркивающее сре́дство (otxárkivajuščeje srédstvo)agent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
- отха́ркивающее (otxárkivajuščeje)agent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
Spanish expectorante
- expectoranteagent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
Swedish expektorerande medel
- expektorerande medelagent or drug used to cause or induce the expulsion of phlegm from the lungs
Cite this entry
expectorant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/expectorant
“expectorant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/expectorant. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “expectorant,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/expectorant.
Source: expectorant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.