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A medicine that promotes alvine discharges; a purge; a purgative of moderate activity.

Of or pertaining to the purgative principle of senna, as cathartic acid.

principle of senna. It is a glucoside with the properties of a weak acid; -- called also cathartic acid, and cathartina.

China (Khitai, the country of the Khitans.) Better fifty years of Europe than a cycle of Cathay. Tennyson.

A projecting piece of timber or iron near the bow of vessel, to which the anchor is hoisted and secured.

The official chair or throne of a bishop, or of any person in high authority. Ex cathedra Etym: [L., from the chair], in the exercise of one's office; with authority. The Vatican Council declares that the Pope, is infallible "when he speaks ex cathedra." Addis & Arnold's Cath. Dict.

principal church in a diocese, so called because in it the bishop has his official chair (Cathedra) or throne.

Cathedral. [R.]

Relating to the chair or office of a teacher. [Obs.]

A mild kind caustic used to reduce warts and other excrescences. Dunglison.

Same as Rose window and Wheel window. Called also Catherine- wheel window.

t to be introduced into the bladder through the urethra to draw off the urine. Eustachian catheter. See under Eustachian. -- Prostatic catheter, one adapted for passing an enlarged prostate.

The operation of introducing a catheter.

To operate on with a catheter. Dunglison.

An instrument for the accurate measurement of small differences of height; esp. of the differences in the height of the upper surfaces of two columns of mercury or other fluid, or of the same column at different times. It consists of a telescopic leveling apparatus (d), which slides up or down a perpendicular metallic…

One line or radius falling perpendicularly on another; as, the catheti of a right-angled triangle, that is, the two sides that include the right angle. Barlow.

c current passes out of the electrolyte; the negative pole; -- opposed to anode. Faraday. Cathode ray (Phys.), a kind of ray generated at the cathode in a vacuum tube, by the electrical discharge.

A term applied to the centrifugal, or efferent course of the nervous infuence. Marshall Hall.

A picture produced by the Röntgen rays; a radiograph.

Universal or general; as, the catholic faith. Men of other countries [came] to bear their part in so great and catholic a war. Southey.