Pur-gā'tion, n.
n. [Lat. purgatio, Fr. purgation, Pr. purgacio, Sp. purgacion, It. purgazione. See PURGE.]
Sense 1. The act of purging; the act of clearing, cleansing, or purifying by separating and carrying off impurities, or whatever is superfluous; often, the act of cleansing from the imputation of guilt.
Let him put me to my purgation. Shak.
Sense 2. (Law.) The clearing of one's self from a crime of which he was publicly suspected and accused. It was either canonical, which was prescribed by the canon law, the form whereof used in the spiritual court was, that the person suspected take his oath that he was clear of the matter objected against him, and bring his honest neighbors with him to make oath that they believed he swore truly; or vulgar, which was by fire or water ordeal, or by combat. See ORDEAL. Wharton.