A Latin plural form (now archaic) referring to cathartic medicines or purgative substances.
From Latin cathartae, from Greek katharos (pure). This Latinized plural reflects the historical use of the Greek term in Roman medical and pharmaceutical contexts.
Roman physicians adopted Greek medical terminology wholesale, which is why so much medical vocabulary today is Greek and Latin—the Romans trusted Greek doctors so much they literally translated their term for 'purifying medicines!'
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