[f. VOMIT v. + -ING1.]
1. The act of ejecting the contents of the stomach through the mouth; an instance of this.
1495. Trevisa’s Barth. De P. R., XVII. xxi. O ij b/1. This floure balaustia … hath also vertue to staunche spewyng & vomytynge.
1555. W. Watreman, Fardle Facions, I. v. 73. When they are sicke, they heale them selues, eyther with fasting or vomiting.
a. 1568. in Bannatyne MS. (Hunt. Cl.), 196. Oppin thy crop at morrowing, Cast out flowme, mak vomating.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 781. Inordinate passion of vomiting … is nothing different from a keckish stomacke and a desire to cast.
1663. Boyle, Usef. Exp. Nat. Philos., II. V. xiv. 249. The Water … has upon the gazer the operation of a rapid stream, and by making him giddy, hastens and facilitates his Vomiting.
1706. Stanhope, Paraphr., III. 323. Such a nauseating and indigestion that great Numbers … dyed … by violent Vomitings.
1742. in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ. (1914), XIV. 137. A Sudden Vomiting seiz’d her, which deprived her of ye Benefit of her Viaticum.
1813. J. Thomson, Lect. Inflam., 599. A mild vegetable aliment, where aliment can be taken without inducing sickness, or exciting vomiting.
1885. Pater, Marius, I. vii. A painful vomiting, which seemed to shake his body asunder.
b. Const. of (the matter ejected).
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. Table, s.v., Vomiting of bloud out of the stomacke, how to bee cured.
1622. Venner, Via Recta, viii. (ed. 2), 194. It … induceth vomitings of bloud.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Colic, A Vomiting of bilious green Liquor.
1765. Wesley, Jrnl., 27 May (1827), III. 215. A young man, brought near death by a vomiting of blood.
1822–7. Good, Study Med. (1829), II. 183. Gangrene … accompanied with a vomiting of matter resembling coffee-grounds.
1859. Mayne, Expos. Lex., 1337/2. Vomiting of Blood,… common term for the disease Hæmatemesis.
c. With defining terms. (See quots.)
1794. B. Rush, Acc. Yellow Fever (ed. 2), 56. Several persons died without a black vomiting of any kind.
1836. Macgillivray, Trav. Humboldt, xxi. 300. The yellow fever or black vomiting is prevalent.
a. 1883. Fagge, Princ. & Pract. Med. (1886), II. 139. ‘Irritability of the stomach,’ or ‘hysterical vomiting.’
1895. Funk’s Stand. Dict., Morning vomiting, the vomiting of drunkards, due to alcoholism; also, the vomiting of pregnant women.
2. concr. Matter that is vomited; = VOMIT sb. 2.
1727. Swift, Poisoning E. Curll, Wks. 1755, III. I. 149. The contents of his vomiting being as green as grass.
1794. B. Rush, Acc. Yellow Fever (ed. 2), 56. The matter which constitutes the fatal black vomiting.
3. techn. (See quot. and VOMITING ppl. a.)
1881. Spons’ Encycl. Industr. Arts, IV. 1486. The steam from the pipe A heats the liquor … and forcing it up the wide pipe C, causes it to strike against the dome or bonnet D…. This is technically called ‘vomiting.’
4. attrib., chiefly in the sense ‘causing vomiting, emetic,’ as vomiting drink, julep, pap, tartar, etc.; † vomiting nut, NUX VOMICA 1.
(a) 1575. Banister, Chyrurg., 106 b. Nux vomica, the vomiting nutte.
1587. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1860), 155. iij vomitinge nottes of puther.
1668. Culpepper & Cole, Barthol. Anat., I. xviii. 49. They are no bigger than a large vomiting Nut.
1681. Grew, Musæum, II. I. iv. 210. The true Methel; or the Vomiting-Nut commonly so call’d.
1712. trans. Pomet’s Hist. Drugs, I. 137. The Vomiting Nuts are round, flat Nuts, of divers Colours.
1723. Pres. St. Russia, II. 53. They … pour strong Vinegar upon vomiting Nuts.
(b) 1647. Hexham, I. A vomiting drinke or potion, een dranck die over-geven doet.
1663. Boyle, Usef. Exp. Nat. Philos., II. V. viii. 189. That violent Vomiting Medicine … called … Mercurius Vitæ.
1694. W. Salmon, Bate’s Dispens. (1713), 363/2. A Vomiting Pappe. Ibid., 527/2. Tartarum Emeticum, Emetick, or Vomiting Tartar.
1737. Med. Ess. & Observ., IV. 33. An Essay towards ascertaining the Doses of vomiting and purging Medicines.
1789. W. Buchan, Dom. Med. (1790), 191. A few spoonfuls of the vomiting julep, will generally answer this purpose.
(c) 1651. Wittie, trans. Primrose’s Pop. Err., 44. He that first found out the vomiting vertue of antimony.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VII. 650. Again vomiting … is suggestive … of a tumour in the region of the vomiting centre.
