Forms: 5–6 vomyte, 6–7 vomite, 6 vomyt, -itte, womit, 6– vomit; 6 vomete, womet. [a. L. vomit-, ppl. stem of vomĕre (whence It. vomire, F. vomir: see VOME v.), or ad. L. vomit-āre (whence It. vomitare, Sp., Pg. and Pr. vomitar, obs. F. vomiter), frequentative of vomĕre to vomit. Cf. EVOMIT v.]
1. intr. To bring up and eject the contents of the stomach by the mouth; to cast or throw up; = SPEW v. 1.
1422. trans. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv., 245. If a man haue nede to vomyte, lete hit be done atte myde-day.
1529. More, Suppl. Soulys, Wks. 322/1. Then shall ye sometime see … al their bodye shiuer for paine, and yet shall neuer vomete at all.
1553. Eden, Treat. New Ind. (Arb.), 16. Some … are prouoked to vomitte, euen as they were tossed on the sea.
1592. Kyd, Murder J. Brewen, ¶ 5. Immediatlie after he began to vomet exceedingly.
c. 1643. Ld. Herbert, Autobiog. (1824), 127. Sir Herbert Croft … met him upon the water vomiting all the way.
1675. E. W[ilson], Spadacr. Dunelm., 79. In case the Stomach be fowl, and the Patient … be apt to Vomit.
1722. De Foe, Plague (1754), 67. The young Lady complained she was not well; in a Quarter of an Hour more she vomited.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), VII. 294. The belly was always greatly swollen, when the animal began to vomit.
1804. Abernethy, Surg. Obs., 231. She complained … of extreme sickness, which produced frequent efforts to vomit.
1872. Darwin, Emotions, xi. 259. The monkeys in the Zoological Gardens often vomit whilst in perfect health.
2. trans. To bring up and discharge (swallowed food or drink) through the mouth; to cast out (a matter or substance) in this way; = SPEW v. 2. Also fig.
1560. Bible (Geneva), Prov. xxiii. 8. Thou shalt vomit thy morsels that thou has eaten.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, s.v. Vomitus, Matter of diuers colours vomited.
1588. Shaks., Titus A., III. i. 232. My bowels cannot hide her woes, But like a drunkard must I vomit them. Ibid. (1611), Cymb., I. vi. 45. Sluttery … Should make desire vomit emptinesse, Not so allur’d to feed.
1804. Med. Jrnl., XII. 149. His stomach became uneasy, and he vomited a small portion of the last dose.
1845. Encycl. Metrop., VII. 552/1. The matters vomited are merely the contents of the stomach, half digested.
1898. J. Hutchinson, in Arch. Surg., IX. 109. A lady vomited the contents of a very large swelling which had formed.
b. Freq. with advs., as forth, out, up.
1541. Elyot, Image Gov., 23. Yf by chance he espied any of them, he was therwith so greued, that he immediately wolde vomite vp colar.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, Reijcere sanguinem, to vomite out bloudde.
a. 1591. H. Smith, Wks. (1866), II. 59. Then might the poor be fed with that which he oftentimes … loathsomely vomits forth.
1609. Bible (Douay), Jonah ii. 11. The Lord spoke to the fish: and it vomited out Jonas upon the dry land.
1663. Cowley, Cutter Coleman-St., II. viii. I ha’ vomited out … all my entrails.
1693. Evelyn, De la Quint. Compl. Gard., II. Treat. Orange Trees, 43. The Juggler, who … Vomits up so many several sorts of Water, all differing in Colour, Taste, and Smell.
1756. Mrs. Calderwood, in Coltness Collect. (Maitl. Cl.), 174. You must know it is a mortall sin to vomit up this morsell.
1818–20. E. Thompson, Cullen’s Nosol. Method. (ed. 3), 247. Desire of food in great quantity, which is immediately vomited up.
1845. Birch, in Classical Museum, III. 420. The Jason vomited up by the serpent of the Fleece.
1904. Spencer & Gillen, North. Tribes Cent. Austral., xiv. 472. The natives say that once some men … became so ill that they vomited forth their livers.
3. fig. a. To eject, reject, cast out or up, esp. with abhorrence or loathing.
1562. Winȝet, Wks. (S.T.S.), II. 54. That thai mot … womet out agane fra the ground thai bittir and tribulous seis of errouris.
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Rev. iii. 16. Because thou art … neither cold nor hote, I wil begin to vomite thee out of my mouth.
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., V. iii. They faine would cast And vomit him from off their governement.
1636. Sir R. Baker, Cato Variegatus, 94. Praise not too much; lest thou be forc’d in th’ end To eate thy words, and vomit up thy friend.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Dial. Dead, Belgic Hero, Wks. 1711, IV. 67. A haughty Tyrant … was obliged to vomit up numberless Provinces and Towns, which he had dishonourably stolen.
1839. T. Mitchell, Frogs of Aristoph., Introd. p. xcii. A stern admonition, that where such vices are practised, the very earth shall vomit out its inhabitants.
b. To give vent to, belch out, or utter (abusive or objectionable language); = SPEW v. 2 c. Chiefly with advs. (as forth, out, up) or preps.
1592. Breton, Pilgr. Paradise, Wks. (Grosart), I. 12/2. Vp did start the heade of Gluttonie, Vomiting out theese wordes of villany.
1611. B. Jonson, Catiline, IV. ii. I hope This Senate is more graue, then to giue credit Rashly to all he vomits.
1639. S. Du Verger, trans. Camus’ Admir. Events, 270. He … made him vomit out a thousand outragious speaches against the perfidie … of Babilas.
1675. Cotton, Scoffer Scoft, 96. All these abominable names Thou vomits forth so fluently.
1865. Parkman, Champlain, viii. (1875), 289. The Frenchman vomited against him every species of malignant abuse.
absol. 1640. Sir E. Dering, Carmelite, iv. (1641), 52. How basely … is unfit for any man to foul his pen with; more unfit for you … so to vomit against your dead Prince.
4. transf. a. To discharge, to give, send or throw out (flames, water, etc.) copiously or with force.
1552. Huloet, Vomitynge or castynge out water, vndiuomus.
1634. Milton, Comus, 655. He and his curst crew … like the sons of Vulcan, vomit smoke.
1635. Quarles, Emblems, I. xi. (1718), 45. Sol’s hot-mouth’d steeds, whose nostrils vomit flame.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, V. 894. The silent plague [sc. fire] through the green timber eats, And vomits out a tardy flame by fits.
1748. Melmoth, Fitzosborne Lett., li. (1749), II. 47. Those grotesque heads … which the ingenious architect has represented in the act of vomiting out the rain, which falls through certain pipes.
1820. Shelley, Prometh. Unb., I. i. 552. Many a million-peopled city Vomits smoke in the bright air.
1851. Kingsley, Yeast, xv. That huge black-mouthed sewer, vomiting its pestilential riches across the mud.
1871. Palgrave, Lyr. Poems, 84. The roar Of the dead salt sea that vomits Wrecks of the past ashore.
b. To discharge or emit, to send out or pour forth (persons or things, esp. in numbers) in a manner suggestive of vomiting.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., V. iii. 318. A scum of Brittaines,… Whom their o’re-cloyed Country vomits forth To desperate Aduentures.
1819. C’tess Spencer, in Lady Lyttelton’s Corr., viii. (1912), 213. If I find any Englishwoman going home by a diligence,… Mrs. Bishop may be vomitted out at the Black Bear, Piccadilly. Ibid. (1820), 222. All such as you see vomited out of the steam-vessel upon Ramsgate or Margate piers.
1834. S. E. Brydges, Autobiog., I. 108. An incredible quantity of nonsense is vomited from the press.
1850. Dickens, Dav. Copp., xvii. There was Uriah’s blue bag lying down and vomiting papers.
c. To eject or cast out by volcanic action; = SPEW v. 4 c. Also with advs., as forth, up.
1614. Earl Stirling, Doomsday, II. lviii. The earth … Doth vomit mountaines, and doth swallow Townes.
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., I. 107. A little Rockie Island, which … vomited up incredible Flames.
1713. Lond. Gaz., No. 5128/8. Mount Vesuvius had vomited violent Streams of Sulphur.
1770. W. Hodson, Ded. Temp. Solomon, 4. Ætna vomits forth her livid Fires.
1794. R. J. Sulivan, View Nat., I. 76. A mouth of fire is opened in a low place…: that mouth vomits a quantity of burning matters.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., III. III. iv. Mentz is changing into an explosive crater, vomiting fire, bevomited with fire!
1866. Herschel, Fam. Lect. Sci. (1867), 33. The opening of a chasm vomiting fire and red-hot stones and ashes.
1878. Huxley, Physiogr., 218. The fused rocks … which are vomited forth by volcanoes.
5. absol. Of emetics: To cause vomiting.
1651. French, Distill., v. 172. You may have a Liquor in the morning which will vomit.
1681. trans. Belon’s Myst. Physick, Introd. 50. Which Tincture does variously operate, sometimes purging, sometimes (though rarely) vomiting.
1737. Bracken, Farriery Impr. (1756), I. 284. The Mineral Bezoar will sometimes vomit.
1762. Gentl. Mag., 274. It [hemlock] seldom purges, very rarely vomits.
1822–7. Good, Study Med. (1829), II. 57. Emetic tartar, when introduced into the jugular vein, will vomit in one or two minutes.
1843. R. J. Graves, Syst. Clin. Med., iv. 50. When chemistry reveals why Tartar Emetic vomits.
b. trans. To cause (a person) to vomit.
1662. R. Mathew, Unl. Alch., 3. Yet will it vomit some, purge others, and make others sweat out of measure.
1753. N. Torriano, Gangr. Sore Throat, 34. We gave some Ipecacuanha, which vomited our Patient, and made her discharge several Membranes and Fragments of Eschars.
1756. C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, II. 141. Some having taken this water in a mistake,… it has vomitted and purged them.
1799. Underwood, Dis. Childhood (ed. 4), I. 21. It is true, vinum antimoniale does not always vomit children.
1843. R. J. Graves, Syst. Clin. Med., xii. 131. Almost every dose vomited him.
c. Said of the person administering the emetic; or in passive of the patient.
1684. trans. Bonet’s Merc. Compit., VIII. 298. We presently proceeded to vomit him: for he was easy to vomit.
1727. Swift, Further Acc. E. Curll, Wks. 1755. III. I. 158. I have taken involuntary purges, I have been vomited.
1756. Med. Observ. & Inq. (1776), I. xxi. 271. I proposed … to relieve her, by vomiting her in the most gentle manner.
1790. J. C. Smyth, in Med. Commun., II. 478. He was vomited with tartar emetic.
1810. Byron, Lett. to Hodgson, 3 Oct. The English Consul … forced a physician upon me, and in three days vomited and glystered me to the last gasp.
1841. Catlin, N. Amer. Ind., lviii. (1844), II. 248. He is vomiting and purging his patients with herbs.
fig. 1682. Dryden & Lee, Dk. Guise, III. ii. I took thee for my Soul’s Physician, And dost thou vomit me with this loath’d Piece?
1798. Anti-Jacobin, No. 10. We’ll vomit his purse, And make it the guineas disgorge.
6. intr. To issue, or come out, with force or violence; to rush out, to spout up.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., IX. 392. It impetuously vomiteth out, in an outragious Torrent.
1844, 1904. [see VOMITING ppl. a.]
Hence Vomited ppl. a.
1846. Day, trans. Simon’s Anim. Chem., II. 393. A case in which urea was detected in the vomited fluid.
1873. Ralfe, Phys. Chem., 46. In certain forms of dyspepsia they have been obtained from the vomited matters.
