vomit

verb vom·it \ ˈvä-mət \

Definition of vomit

intransitive verb

1 :to disgorge the stomach contents

2 :to spew forth :belch, gush

transitive verb

1 :to disgorge (the contents of the stomach) through the mouth

2 :to eject violently or abundantly :spew

3 :to cause to vomit

—

vomiter

noun

See vomit defined for English-language learners

Examples of vomit in a Sentence

The dog vomited on the floor.
The patient was vomiting blood.

Recent Examples of vomit from the Web

As Elle Hunt reports for the Guardian, beaches across the coast were evacuated, and some 150 people were treated for stinging eyes, irritated throats and vomiting.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "A Mysterious Chemical Cloud Descended on the British Coast," 29 Aug. 2017
In Clinton, Mo., a woman at home on hospice began vomiting from anxiety from a tense family conflict: Her son had to physically fight off her daughter, who was stealing her medications.

— melissa bailey, Kaiser Health News, "Dying At Home In An Opioid Crisis: Hospices Grapple With Stolen Meds," 22 Aug. 2017
Drinking to excess can lead to loss of consciousness, vomiting, and aspiration.

— marguerite pacholski, rn, bsn, Philly.com, "A nurse's tips for sending your child off to college," 22 Aug. 2017
Health department officials worry that dogs could vomit or urinate on the patios, potentially contaminating food.

— jessie balmert, Cincinnati.com, "Should Ohio allow dogs on restaurant patios?," 21 Aug. 2017
Yes, there were days that stretched into the wee hours, patrons who vomited on the Zipper (a ride that involves being spun upside down in cages) and the occasional racist outburst from a parent whose child was not tall enough to board a ride.

— paulina villegas and victoria burnett, New York Times, "Without Visas, Carnival Workers Are Trapped at Home in Mexico," 22 July 2017
Also known as the winter vomiting bug, norovirus is the most common cause of the stomach flu.

— sarah begley, Time, "Norovirus Is the Worst. Here's What to Know About It," 19 July 2017
Marijuana products also appear to be effective at calming muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis and easing nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, the report stated.

— amanda macmillan, Health.com, "10 Things to Know About Pot and Your Health," 29 June 2017
The children had abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal symptoms, along with gut inflammation visible under a microscope.

— meredith wadman, Science | AAAS, "The rogue protein behind Parkinson’s disease may also protect your gut," 27 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vomit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of vomit

15th century

vomit Synonyms

Synonyms

barf, gag, heave, hurl, puke, retch, spew, spit up, throw up, upchuck, lose one's lunch [slang], toss one's cookies

Related Words

disgorge, regurgitate; eject, expel; nauseate

vomit

noun

Definition of vomit

1 :an act or instance of disgorging the contents of the stomach through the mouth; also :the disgorged matter

2 :emetic

See vomit defined for English-language learners

See vomit defined for kids

Recent Examples of vomit from the Web

Lucy finds the first splatter of vomit shimmering like dark mirage.

— Longreads, "And How Much of These Hills Is Gold," 3 Aug. 2017
Intoxicated, Reese Park: An officer found a man sitting in the driver's seat of a car July 1 at 1:20 a.m. The officer noted the man had thrown up on himself and there was the strong odor of vomit and alcohol coming from within the 2009 Toyota.

— julie a. short/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Police find intoxicated man in car at park: Bay Village Police Blotter," 3 July 2017
This month alone, a Muslim woman wearing a head scarf told police in Lancashire her car was struck by a bag of vomit.

— Bloomberg.com, "Muslims Targeted By Violence in Wake of IS-claimed Attacks," 19 June 2017
In the U.K., on June 14, two Muslim women in hijab had a bag of vomit thrown at their car in Blackburn.

— mona eltahawy, The Cut, "How Can They Say Nabra Hassanen’s Murder Wasn’t a Hate Crime?," 19 June 2017
Tyree's injuries included lacerations to the liver and spleen, which was nearly severed in two, when he was found in his cell naked and covered in vomit and feces.

— CBS News, "3 Calif. jail guards found guilty in death of mentally ill inmate," 1 June 2017
A touch of realism was added thanks to the help of makeup artists with fake blood, urine and vomit, as well as prosthesis and special effects makeup to create injuries and wounds based on descriptions provided by medical doctors.

— junette reyes, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Mock disaster puts EMS students at the front lines," 26 May 2017
The agency described the norovirus particles as extremely small, with billions present in the stool and vomit of infected people.

— sacbee, sacbee.com, "Norovirus outbreak jumps to 950 cases in Yolo County schools, officials say," 12 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of vomit

Middle English, from Anglo-French vomite, from Latin vomitus, from vomere to vomit; akin to Old Norse vāma seasickness, Greek emein to vomit

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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VOMIT Defined for English Language Learners

vomit

noun

Definition of vomit for English Language Learners

: the food, liquid, etc., that comes out of your body through your mouth when you vomit

vomit

verb

Definition of vomit for English Language Learners

: to have the food, liquid, etc., that is in your stomach come out through your mouth because you are sick

VOMIT Defined for Kids

vomit

noun vom·it \ ˈvä-mət \

Definition of vomit for Students

:material from the stomach brought up suddenly through the mouth

vomit

verb

Definition of vomit for Students

vomited; vomiting

:to bring up the contents of the stomach through the mouth

Medical Dictionary

vomit

noun vom·it \ ˈväm-ət \

medical Definition of vomit

1 :vomiting

2 :stomach contents disgorged through the mouth — called also vomitus

vomit

intransitive verb

medical Definition of vomit

:to disgorge the stomach contents

transitive verb

:to disgorge (the contents of the stomach) through the mouth

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See words that rhyme with vomit Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for vomit Spanish Central: Translation of vomit Nglish: Translation of vomit for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of vomit for Arabic speakers

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vomit

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vomit

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vomit

Definition of vomit for English Language Learners

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Medical Dictionary

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medical Definition of vomit

vomit

medical Definition of vomit

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