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Acting rapidly and violently; efficacious; powerful; -- opposed to bland; as, drastic purgatives. -- n. (Med.)

y, to dose by force; to put a potion down the throat of, as of a horse; hence. to purge violently by physic. As "to fell," is "to make to fall," and "to lay," to make to lie." so "to drench," is "to make to drink." Trench.

A driving; a violent movement. The dragon drew him [self] away with drift of his wings. King Alisaunder (1332).

Violent or rapid motion; a rushing onward or away; esp., a forced or hurried dispatch of business. The Murdstonian drive in business. M. Arnold.

Like a drone; indolent; slow. Burke. -- Dron"ish*ly, adv. -- Dron"ish*ness, n.

A member of a social and benevolent order, founded in London in 1781, and professedly based on the traditions of the ancient Druids. Lodges or groves of the society are established in other countries. Druid stones, a name given, in the south of England, to weatherworn, rough pillars of gray sandstone scattered over the…

A sudden burst or violent display; an outburst; as, an ebullition of anger or ill temper.

allium agreste (or Elaterium), the squirting cucumber. Its fruit, when ripe, bursts and violently ejects its seeds, together with a mucilaginous juice, from which elaterium, a powerful cathartic medicine, is prepared.

Violent distraction of mind; violent emotion; excessive grief of anxiety; insanity; madness. [Obs.] That unmatched form and feature of blown youth Blasted with ecstasy. Shak. Our words will but increase his ecstasy. Marlowe.

related species. It is extracted as a bitter, white, crystalline substance, which is a violent purgative.

he genus Gymnotus (G. electricus), from two to five feet in length, capable of giving a violent electric shock. See Gymnotus. -- Electrical fish (Zoöl.), any fish which has an electrical organ by means of which it can give an electrical shock. The best known kinds are the torpedo, the gymnotus, or electrical eel, and…

To excite suddenly and violently, esp. by something highly delightful or inspiriting; to thrill; as, this patriotic sentiment electrified the audience. If the sovereign were now to immure a subject in defiance of the writ of habeas corpus . . . the whole nation would be instantly electrified by the news. Macaulay. Try…

A violent belching out or emitting, as of gaseous or other matter from the crater of a volcano, geyser, etc.

The act of breaking out or bursting forth; as: (a) A violent throwing out of flames, lava, etc., as from a volcano of a fissure in the earth's crust. (b) A sudden and overwhelming hostile movement of armed men from one country to another. Milton. (c) A violent commotion. All Paris was quiet . . . to gather fresh streng…

he African Euphorbia resinifrea. It was formerly employed medicinally, but was found so violent in its effects that its use is nearly abandoned.

To render more violent or bitter; to irriate; to exasperate; to imbitter, as passions or disease. Broughman.

The act rendering more violent or bitter; the state of being exacerbated or intensified in violence or malignity; as, exacerbation of passion.

Violent anger; a growing angry. [Obs.] Blount.

The act of cursing; a curse dictated by violent feelings of hatred; imprecation; utter detestation expressed. Cease, gentle, queen, these execrations. Shak.

To become suddenly expanded into a great volume of gas or vapor; to burst violently into flame; as gunpowder explodes.