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Spurge, or bastard spurge, a genus of plants of many species, mostly shrubby, herbaceous succulents, affording an acrid, milky juice. Some of them are armed with thorns. Most of them yield powerful emetic and cathartic products.

(euphrasia officionalis), formerly regarded as beneficial in disorders of the eyes. Then purged with euphrasy and rue The visual nerve, for he had much to see. Milton.

The condition of being exact; accuracy; nicety; precision; regularity; as, exactness of jurgement or deportment.

To incite by words or advice; to animate or urge by arguments, as to a good deed or laudable conduct; to address exhortation to; to urge strongly; hence, to advise, warn, or caution. Examples gross as earth exhort me. Shak. Let me exhort you to take care of yourself. J. D. Forbes.

The state of being exigent; urgent or exacting want; pressing necessity or distress; need; a case demanding immediate action, supply, or remedy; as, an unforeseen exigency. "The present exigency of his affairs." Ludlow.

nce from practice; knowing and ready from much practice; clever; skillful; as, an expert surgeon; expert in chess or archery. A valiant and most expert gentleman. Shak. What practice, howsoe'er expert In fitting aptest words to things . . . Hath power to give thee as thou wert Tennison.

To purify; to clear from anything noxious, offensive, or erroneous; to cleanse; to purge; as, to expurgate a book.

To do, make, or utter extempore or off-hand; to prepare in great haste, under urgent necessity, or with scanty or unsuitable materials; as, to extemporize a dinner, a costume, etc. Themistocles . . . was of all men the best able to extemporize the right thing to be done. Jowett (Thucyd. ). Pitt, of whom it was said tha…

The best of worst; most urgent; greatest; highest; immoderate; excessive; most violent; as, an extreme case; extreme folly. "The extremest remedy." Dryden. "Extreme rapidity." Sir W. Scott. Yet extreme gusts will blow out fire. Shak.

2. a veterinary surgeon.

A band, sash, or fillet; especially, in surgery, a bandage or roller.

s covering, causing opacity; hence, any thin, slight covering. He from thick films shall purge the visual ray. Pope.

To whip; to scourge; to flog.

One who practices flagellation; one who whips or scourges.

Importunity; urgent demand. [Archaic] Carlyle.

To cause a discharge from; to purge.

nfluence which causes and controls the metabolism of the body. -- No force, no matter of urgency or consequence; no account; hence, to do no force, to make no account of; not to heed. [Obs.] Chaucer. -- Of force, of necessity; unavoidably; imperatively. "Good reasons must, of force, give place to better." Shak. -- P…

seize with the fingers, especially one for delicate operations, as those of watchmakers, surgeons, accoucheurs, dentists, etc.

Seemingly vigorous, but really weak or insipid. He [Prof. Ayton] would purge his book of much offensive matter, if he struck out epithets which are in the bad taste of the forcible-feeble school. N. Brit. Review.

A pointed instrument used to urge on a beast; hence, any necessity that urges or stimulates. The daily goad urging him to the daily toil. Macaulay.