purging place

Originally as a calque or translation of various Latin or Spanish terms.^[1]

purging place (plural purging places)

1. A place where purging occurs, particularly:
   1. (premodern medicine, obsolete) A body part where excess humors are expelled.
      • c. 1425, translating Guy de Chauliac as The Grande Chirurgie, p. 154:

        An aposteme gendred in þe [sc. Latin tribus emunctoriis], þat is to say, of þe brayne vnder þe eres, of þe herte vnder þe arme holes, of þe lyuer in the schares.

   2. (obsolete) A place where the body is purged of waste: a latrine; an outhouse; a lavatory.
      • 1577, Antonio de Guevara, translated by Edward Hellowes, Chronicles, page 29:

        He buylt in all streetes in Rome publique purging places [sc. Spanish latrinas publicas].

   3. (Christianity, now rare) The place where the soul is purged of sin: Purgatory.
      • 1603, Elizabeth Melville, Ane Godlie Dreame, l. 262:

        Is this, said I, the Papists purging place?

• (toilet facilities): See Thesaurus:bathroom

• place; see also Thesaurus:bathroom