From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpurgepurge1 /pɜːdʒ $ pɜːrdʒ/ verb 1 LEAVE A JOB OR ORGANIZATIONLEAVE A PLACE[transitive] to force people to leave a place or organization because the people in power do not like thempurge something of somebody/something He sought to purge the Democrat party of conservatives.purge somebody/something from something plans to purge ethnic minorities from rebel-controlled areas2 [transitive] to remove something that is thought to be harmful or unacceptablepurge something of somebody/something an initiative to purge the PC market of software pirates Local languages were purged of Russian words.purge somebody/something from something It’s hard to imagine now that Lawrence’s novels were purged from public libraries.3 [transitive] to destroy something that is no longer needed The system automatically purges unread emails after two weeks.4 GET RID OF[transitive] literary to remove bad feelingspurge somebody/something of something We have to begin by purging our minds of prejudice. Any doubts about his leadership were purged by the courage of his performance.5 HBH[transitive] to take a substance that makes your bowels empty Anorexics may overeat before purging themselves or vomiting.6 [intransitive] to force yourself to bring food up from your stomach and out of your mouth, especially because you have bulimia→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
purge• Lately, with each round of corporate purging and bingeing, Marco has been feeling his time draw close.• It was as if Lucie's pride had been purged away by standing in that vat of swirling morning mist.• Modernism may well have been purged from public view, but to the determined specialist it was still covertly available.• Many radicals were purged from the party in the early seventies.• Because I need to purge myself of the past more than anything.• Under Americanism the country was to be purged of foreign political elements.• Mr van der Luyden looked about the room with what would have been self-satisfaction on features less purged of the vulgar passions.• He had whipped his Machine into line, shelved the old competitors, purged the incorrigibles.• Employees leaving the government were encouraged to purge their computer files.• In the North, Sung systematically purged those whom he considered a threat.purge something of somebody/something• On many occasions, Stalin purged the armed forces of senior commanders.purge somebody/something of something• It took her months to purge herself of her feelings of guilt.purgepurge2 noun [countable] 1 an action to remove your opponents or the people who disagree with you from an organization or a place the Stalinist purgespurge of/on a purge of military commanders a purge on tax dodgers2 a substance used to make you empty your bowelsExamples from the Corpus
purge• In the collective unconscious, perhaps everyone wanted a change, a purge.• Even if that in turn led to a purge, the president would emerge stronger.• There was a purge of the military commanders who had supported the coup.• They would be content to see another purge of the suspects, such as myself.• The state government has begun a new purge, with plans to cut demand by imposing a surcharge.• Other purges, other forced confessions and other suicides followed.• Stalin's purges of the 1930s• Nor, it seems, might the purge cease there.• The consequences of these purges was that the government was now more harsh than ever.purge of/on• Further, he appears to have launched a purge on his negotiating team.• There was a purge of ministers sympathetic to reform and office was entrusted to staunch conservatives.• They would be content to see another purge of the suspects, such as myself.• Although the survivors are purged of inherited weakness they have lost their variety.• All that was important to them was that the spirit be purged of all its earthly weaknesses.• Under Americanism the country was to be purged of foreign political elements.• Mr van der Luyden looked about the room with what would have been self-satisfaction on features less purged of the vulgar passions.• It would be a photography purged of people.From Longman Business Dictionarypurgepurge /pɜːdʒpɜːrdʒ/ verb [transitive] to get rid of information that is no longer needed, especially when combining lists of information→ See Verb tableOrigin purge1 (1200-1300) Old French purgier, from Latin purgare “to make pure”, from purus; → PURE 