What does lavage mean?
Lavage is the washing or flushing of a body cavity with liquid, most often in a medical or surgical context. Its best-known use is gastric lavage, in which the stomach is filled and then emptied with fluid, sometimes to remove a harmful substance. The word can also refer more broadly to irrigation or systematic washing. Although related to ordinary washing, lavage is more precise and technical: it suggests introducing liquid deliberately so that it flushes or cleans a particular space. It is not commonly used for washing dishes, clothing, or a person's hair. In clinical writing, the term is usually accompanied by the name of the area being treated, such as gastric, colonic, or peritoneal lavage. The word comes from French and reflects a long-established medical vocabulary for cleansing by washing.
The act of washing or flushing a body cavity with liquid, especially as a medical or surgical procedure.
"Careful gastric lavage reduced the amount of poison remaining in the patient's stomach."
Primarily medical and technical; the relevant body cavity is usually named.
The act of washing, cleansing, or irrigating something with a flow of liquid.
"Repeated lavage cleared the blocked pipe of accumulated sediment."
A liquid used for washing or flushing.
"The surgeon applied a sterile lavage solution to the area."
Plural forms are used when separate lavage procedures or acts are being counted.
"Several diagnostic lavages were performed over the course of the morning."
In medicine, lavage turns washing into a precise procedure: introducing liquid, flushing a cavity, and often removing the fluid afterward.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lavage come from?
Lavage was borrowed from French lavage, a noun formed from laver, “to wash.” The French verb continues Latin lavare, “to wash,” which is also the source of related English words such as lavatory and laver. The term entered English in medical usage and later became available for broader descriptions of washing or irrigation.
How lavage is actually used
The term is primarily formal and technical. In medicine, it usually denotes washing a body cavity with a solution that is subsequently drained or suctioned.