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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Purgatio(u)n, Purgacio(u)n, n. Also: -io(u)ne, pourgation. [ME and e.m.E. purgacio(u)n (Wyclif), -yon, purgation (a1533), e.m.E. also pourgacion (once, 1504), OF purgacion (12th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), L. purgātiōn-, noun of action f. purgāre Purg(e v.] Purgation.

1. The action of cleansing; the clearing away of impurities. 1531 Bell. Boece I lv.
Gif ony man findis his bile opnit for purgatioun be me [etc.] Id. Livy I 88/15.
He drewe mony … synkis … for on the plane and evin ground mycht na discensis be maid for purgacioun thareof 1638 Henderson Serm. 429.
His blood is as the laver of purgation, wherein we are washen

b. In Nisbet, after Purvey: = Purificatio(u)n(e n. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke ii 22.
The dais of purgatioun of Marie war fulfillit eftire Moyses lawe

2. spec. a. The discharge of waste matter from the body; excretion; also, menstruation or menstrual fluid. a1400 Leg. S. vi 482.
It is lyk to poycion Men takis fore purgacione, That clengis oure flesche fra ȝarninge 1492 Myll Spect. 292/9.
Be the debilite of thare nature agit wemen has a retentioun of thare principall purgatioun 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 17.
To prepair the bodie apte to purgatioun c1600 Medical Recipes 86.
Marce … is indeferent for taking of purgatione & is very guid to lat bluid

b. concr. That which promotes or assists purging or evacuation, a purgative, an aperient medicine. 1456 Hay II 134/8.
For syk maner of vomytis purgis the stomak with less wering na dois purgaciounis that passis throu be art of medicynis of all evill humouris Ib. 144/25.
Bot tak efter thy qualitee thy refectioun and purgacioun c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiii 47.
He had purgatioun to mak a theif To dee withowt a widdy 1546 Treas. Acc. VIII 462.
To Thomas Thomsoun, potinger, for medicinis and purgationis 1600-1610 Melvill 146 (see Purg(e v. 2 absol.). c1600 Medical Recipes. 87.
Aprill … is evill to tak purgatioune also evill to lat bluid

3. Moral or spiritual cleansing, by the removal of sin, guilt or evil; freeing from moral corruption. b. The purification of the soul in Purgatory. 1490 Irland Mir. II 35/24.
And thar passit all the prophetis and haly persouns that mysterit na purgacioun a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 629 (Asl.).
Persecucioun Quhilk to the saull is spirituale purgacioun c1520-c1535 Nisbet Hebrews i 3.
He makis purgatioun of synnis, and sittis on the richthalf of his maiestee in heuenis Arundel MS 287/276.
Quhais purificacioun Of syne wes our purgacioun 1560 Conf. Faith in 14.. Acts II 528/2.
Christis deith and the euerlasting purgatioun and satisfactioun purchessit till ws be the samyn 1571–2 Reg. Privy C. II 130.
Alsweill in thingis temporall as in the conservatioun and purgatioun of the religioun 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 263.
And the purgation of the godly shall not myster

4. The action of clearing oneself, also another, of the imputation of guilt (by oath, compurgation etc.: see Purg(e v. 6); also, an affirmation, made upon oath, of one's innocence.To mak one's purgatioun = Purg(e v. 6 a.(1) 14.. Acts I 5/2.
Quhethir he wil bataile or to tak purgacioun of xii leil men with clengyng of a hyrdman Ib. 377/2.
The pruff or the purgacioune is the deid of batail 1456 Hay I 257/34.
Bot oure haly fader … condampnis all purgacioun vulgare; that is to say be fyre, or watere, or blude 1494 Loutfut MS 109b.
The defendour … may offir twa maner of purgationis othir than battell 1531 Bell. Boece I 100.
Plaucius, for his purgation, maid few wordis bot sufferit his dedis to schaw thaim self 1533 Boece 115. 1549 Compl. 137/31.
I vil nocht gyf eyris to thy excusations nor to thy purgations, be cause … that na man suld be admittit to be vytnes in his auen cause 1565 Reg. Privy C. I 342.
Forsamekill as … his purgatioun in that behalf is nocht sa sufficient as the mater requirit … that he may suirlie repair towart hir grace for making of his purgacioun and forder declaratioun of the trewth anent the said allegeance 1574 St. A. Kirk S. 402 (see Purg(e v. 6 a (1)). 1577 Reg. Privy C. II 623.
Anent the tryell and purgatioun of the saidis complenaris of the said bill a1578 Pitsc. I 282/2.
Quhen Mr. Gawin had hard the bischopis purgatioun … [he] thocht all was bot vaine that he had spoken 1585 Misc. Bann. C. I 136.
The king … beleived all that the master had said in his purgation 1594–5 Sc. Hist. Rev. XVI (1918–19) 141.
I vonder that nather your long knowledge of my naturall nor my laite earniste purgation unto you can cure you of that rooted erroure 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 94b (Table).
Purgation or acquitance is granted to the defender quhen the persewer hes na probation 1627 Justiciary Cases I 72.
Being deulie admoneished to abstene and to satisfie the kirk be repentance or purgatioun 1668 Alford Rec. 125.
That oaths of purgation in cases of scandall be not herafter taken by any ministers of this diocie(b) 1568 Anderson Collect. Mary IV i 117.
Bot … I need not to insist far upon my pourgation of that poynt(2) 1500 Acta Conc. II 410.
That the sadis persons being sa culpable of the crimes and trespassis that thare purgacione was made for [etc.] c1500 Barounis Lawis fol. 7b.
Gif ony man be adiugit to mak his purgacioune and quyttance in forme of law 1545 Reg. Privy C. I 9.
[To] mak his purgatioun of the suspicioun that tha have aganis him 1564 St. A. Kirk S. 229.
Understanding be purgacion mayd be the sayd Ihon that [etc.] 1571 Reg. Privy C. II 85.
And na gude purgatioun maid be thame for declaratioun of thair innocency 1574 St. A. Kirk S. 398.
Warnit to compeir … to purge hym of the bairn allegit begottin betwix hym and Margaret Nicoll and … to mak his purgation opinlye in presence of the congregation 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 158.
He … maid his purgatioun of the horrible cryme a1578 Pitsc. I 26/20.
It behoweit hir to mak hir purgatione that scho was frie of all misrewlle commitit be hir husband 1596 Acts IV 105/1. 1622-6 Bisset I 173/27.
Gif the pairtie desyris the judge to purdge himself of partiall counsall, and the judge … makis his purgatioun

5. The ‘wiping out’ or cancellation of an offence or its consequences, by establishing one's innocence or by atonement; also, atonement. a1578 Pitsc. II 211/5.
Madame … I am innocent of that matter … and for purgatioun of the same I will vse my sellff as ȝe will dewyse 1594 Misc. Spald. C. II 124.
Ye said it was nocht his gold nor siluer ye socht, bot his lyff, and said ye vald mak him na vther purgatioun 1596 James VI Facs. Nat. MSS III lxxiii.
Other purgation I aucht thaime nane speciallie in sa indifferent a maitter