purging

1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of purge

plural purgings

1. The act or an instance of eliminating contamination: a purification, a cleansing
   1. countableuncountablegovernmentA removal of undesirable people.

      Synonyms: purge, witchhunt

   2. countableuncountablechemistryThe cleansing of a device by flushing it with water, steam, or some other liquid or gas.
2. The removal of waste from the human body
   1. countableuncountablepremodern medicineThe removal of excess humors through bloodletting, induced vomiting, etc.
   2. countableuncountablemedicineThe removal of digested waste: defecation; defecation induced by laxatives.

      Synonyms: defecation

3. countableuncountablemedicineVomiting; vomiting induced by purgatives.

   He had violent pains in his belly, and purgings...

   1849, The Journal of Health and Disease, page 98

   Synonyms: vomiting and Thesaurus:regurgitate

4. countableobsoleterareuncountableThat which is purged: contamination, a contaminant; refuse; sin; etc.
5. countableobsoleterareuncountableSynonym of purgation: the act or an instance of removing guilt or suspicion of a misdeed.

   Synonyms: purgation

6. countableuncountabledermatologyThe process in which acne temporarily worsened due to the introduction of skincare products that increase cell turnover, bringing underlying acne to the surface more quickly.

   Skin purging looks a lot like acne, but they are not the same. Skin purging may have many of the skin issues of acne, but it’s the storm before the calm, versus the other way around.

   2025 May 6, Michele Jordan, “Skin Purging: Causes, Signs, and Treatment”, in webmd.com, archived from the original on 10 Mar 2026