Clysters

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A method of delivering liquid into the rectum for medical or cleansing purposes
2. A procedure typically involving a syringe-like device to introduce fluid into the lower intestine
3. A therapeutic technique used to alleviate constipation or prepare for medical examinations by flushing out the bowel

Etymology: "Clysters" is the plural of "clyster," a word that traces back to the ancient Greek verb "klyzein," meaning "to wash" or "to rinse out." From it came "klustēr," an instrument for flushing or washing something out, and this sense passed into Latin and then Middle French as "clystere." Its literal meaning, a tool for washing out the body's lower passages, has stayed closer to the original than many medical terms have. The word arrived in English from French, carrying its medical sense with it, so the instrument and the procedure it performed were named by the same root. The plural form "clysters" simply refers to more than one such treatment or the enema itself, a usage that belongs to older medical writing rather than modern clinical speech.