Both Uses of
purge
in
Julius Caesar
- Which so appearing to the common eyes,
We shall be call'd purgers, not murderers.p. 61.9 *purgers = people who get rid of things thought undesirable
- What, is Brutus sick,
And will he steal out of his wholesome bed
To dare the vile contagion of the night,
And tempt the rheumy and unpurged air
To add unto his sickness?†p. 69.2unpurged = not ridded of somethingstandard prefix: The prefix "un-" in unpurged means not and reverses the meaning of purged. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.
Definition:
get rid of things thought undesirable
The exact meaning of purge can depend upon its context. For example:
- "purge the government of our enemies" -- get rid of people for political reasons
- "purge my closet of everything I haven't worn in a year" -- get rid of undesired things
- "To purge yourself of crippling sorrow, you'll need to express it." -- get rid of unwanted feelings
- "I'm doing a 24-hour purge and then starting a new diet." -- emptying the intestinal tract