Vomiting: Definition, Causes, and How to Stop It

Meaning 1：act of throwing up (Vomiting)

Vomiting 🔊

/ˈvɑːmɪtɪŋ/

The act of throwing up or bringing stomach contents out through the mouth, often due to illness or discomfort.

Vomiting person with bowl and family comfort nearby

act of throwing up 🔊

➕

/ækt əv ˈθroʊɪŋ ʌp/

The process of ejecting the contents of the stomach through the mouth, usually as a result of illness, disgust, or overeating.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'vomitus', derived from 'vomere' (to discharge).

💡 Mnemonic

Associate 'vomit' with 'volcano' – both forcefully eject contents. The 'o' in vomit looks like an open mouth.

📖 Example

After the school picnic, a student felt sick and had sudden vomiting in the restroom. 🔊 After the school picnic, a student felt sick and had sudden vomiting in the restroom.

🔗 Collocations

vomiting center – The region in the brain that controls the vomiting reflex.

vomiting reflex – The automatic physical response that leads to vomiting.

projectile vomiting – Forceful expulsion of stomach contents over a distance.

🔄 Synonyms

emesis (n.) – The medical term for the act of vomiting.

puking (n.) – An informal and colloquial term for vomiting.

throwing up (n.) – A common informal phrase meaning the act of vomiting.

🚫 Antonyms

retaining (n.) – The act of keeping food or drink in the stomach without vomiting.

nausea (n.) – A feeling of sickness that may lead to vomiting but is itself not vomiting.

🌱 Derivatives

vomit (v.) – To eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth.

vomited (v.) – Past tense of vomit; having performed the act of vomiting.

vomitus (n.) – The matter expelled from the stomach during vomiting (medical term).

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'vomiting' comes from Latin 'vomere', meaning 'to discharge'. It entered English via Old French 'vomit' and describes a natural reflex to expel stomach contents.