aperitive, a.
(əˈpɛrɪtɪv)
Also 7 apperitive, 6–8 aperative.
[variant of apertive, after mod.Fr. apéritif, -ive, older Fr. apertif, med.L. apertīvus and aperitīvus, It. apertivo and aperitivo.]
A. adj.
† 1. Tending to open. Obs. rare.
| 1685 Boyle Free Enq. 381 Its [a key's] Power of opening a Door (which, perhaps, some School-Men would call its aperitive Faculty). |
2. Med. Tending to open the bowels; aperient.
| 1582 J. Hester Phiorav. Secr. i. xvi. 16 Warme and drie and aperatiue. 1603 Florio Montaigne ii. xxxvii. (1632) 434 Aperitive things are good for a man thats troubled with the collike. 1853 A. Soyer Pantroph. 167 Smallage is diuretic and aperitive. |
B. n. [sc. medicine, article of diet.]
| 1671 Salmon Syn. Med. iii. xvi. 361 Apperitives..open the mouths of the vessels. 1727 Swift Gulliver iii. vi. 216 Administer to each of them aperitives. 1841 Chamb. Jrnl. X. 260 The other physicians..all insisted on the use of the strongest aperitives. |