Vomit
/ˈvɑːmɪt/
nounverbB1
Definition
Vomit is when the body pushes out food or liquid from the stomach through the mouth, usually because of sickness or feeling very bad. As a noun, it means the actual food or liquid that comes out. Vomiting is often a sign that something is wrong inside the body.
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See It in Action
The action of pushing stomach contents out through the mouth (verb)
- •She felt sick and had to vomit after eating bad food.
- •The child vomited on the floor during the car ride.
- •If you vomit more than twice, you should see a doctor.
The material that comes out of the mouth during vomiting (noun)
- •There was vomit on the sidewalk after the man got sick.
- •Cleaning up vomit is an unpleasant task.
- •The smell of vomit made the room uncomfortable.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "vomit" like "throw up" (a simple phrase), but it's the formal word for this action or thing
- ✓Picture a person feeling sick and suddenly pushing food out of their mouth into a bowl or outside
- ✓It's the unpleasant feeling when your stomach is upset, and your body tries to get rid of bad things
- ✓Sounds like "VOM-it" → imagine a loud "vomit" sound when someone suddenly throws up
- ✓In stories or movies, vomiting often shows someone is very sick or disgusted by something
- ✓NOT like "spit" (which is just saliva from the mouth), vomit comes from deep inside the stomach
- ✓NOT like "cough" (which clears the throat), vomiting is a forceful emptying of stomach contents
- ✓NOT like "nausea" (which is the feeling of sickness), vomiting is the actual action of throwing up
Try Other Words
- •Throw up: to vomit (Use when speaking informally or with children)
- •Regurgitate: to bring food back up (Use in medical or scientific contexts, more formal)
- •Puke: to vomit (Very informal and slang, often used among friends)
- •Barf: to vomit (Informal, childish or humorous tone)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: No clear prefix or suffix; "vomit" is a root word
- •Etymology: From Latin "vomitare," meaning "to throw up" or "to vomit"
- •Historical development: Used in English since the 14th century with the same meaning
- •Modern usage: Commonly used in both medical language and everyday speech to describe the action or result of vomiting
Reflect & Connect
•How do people react differently to the word "vomit" in formal versus informal situations?
•Can vomiting ever be helpful for the body? When might it be harmful instead?
Fill in the blanks
1.People often vomit when they eat ___ food or get sick from a virus.
2.Vomit usually smells ___ and can make people feel uncomfortable nearby.
3.Unlike coughing, vomiting is a strong action that pushes ___ out of the stomach.
4.When someone says they feel nauseous, they may soon ___ if the feeling gets worse.
5.Parents often clean up ___ when their children get sick.
6.Doctors ask how many times a patient has ___ to understand the illness severity.
7.Vomiting can happen because of motion sickness, food poisoning, or ___ illness.