ENGLISH
REFERENCE

enema

n.
C1 Advanced US //ˈɛnəmə// UK //ˈɛnəmɐ// en·e·ma

n. a liquid that is put into your body through the bottom to clean it out. It is often used to help with constipation or before a medical test.

n. the introduction of a liquid into the rectum for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes. Often used to cleanse the bowel or to administer medication.


SIMPLE

The doctor recommended an enema to help with the patient's constipation.

CONTEXTUAL

Before the colonoscopy, the patient was instructed to perform an enema to ensure the bowel was completely empty.

COMPLEX

While modern medicine often prefers oral laxatives, an enema remains a standard procedure for rapid bowel cleansing when a patient cannot tolerate oral intake.

Synonyms
Origin

Learned borrowing from Late Latin enema, itself borrowed from Ancient Greek ἔνεμα (énema, “injection”), from ἐνίημι (eníēmi, “to send in, inject”).

© 2026 English Reference