Hypertext Webster Gateway: "lenitive"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Lenitive \Len"i*tive\ (-t[i^]v), a. [Cf. F. l['e]nitif. See
{Lenient}.]
Having the quality of softening or mitigating, as pain or
acrimony; assuasive; emollient.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Lenitive \Len"i*tive\, n. [Cf. F. l['e]nitif.]
1. (Med.)
(a) A medicine or application that has the quality of
easing pain or protecting from the action of
irritants.
(b) A mild purgative; a laxative.
2. That which softens or mitigates; that which tends to allay
passion, excitement, or pain; a palliative.
There is one sweet lenitive at least for evils,
which Nature holds out; so I took it kindly at her
hands, and fell asleep. --Sterne.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
lenitive
adj : moderating pain or sorrow by making it easier to bear [syn:
{alleviative}, {alleviatory}, {mitigative}, {mitigatory},
{palliative}]
n : remedy that eases pain and discomfort
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.