emesis

em·e·sis
E1M3E1S1I1S1
/ˈɛmɪsɪs/

noun

The act or process of vomiting.

“Syrup of ipecac almost always forces an emesis.”

UncommonScrabble 8

Meanings

nounemesis (countable and uncountable, plural emeses)

plural emeses

  1. countableuncountablemedicineThe act or process of vomiting.

    Syrup of ipecac almost always forces an emesis.

    3 more examples

    A female, aged 57 years, was left affected with abdominal dropsy after an attack of fever. On the 3d of March, 1836, she took 6 drops of croton oil, and in the substances rejected by emeses, four living caterpillars were perceived at first, and subsequently ten others.

    1837 May 28, “Living Caterpillars in the Human Intestines”, in Southern Medical and Surgical Journal, volume I, number 12, page 747

    Information included coexisting diseases, alcohol misuse, other substance misuse, medications taken at the same time as antituberculosis treatment (focusing on antiretroviral and azole antifungal agents), and the presence of gastrointentinal symptoms (nausea, emesis, diarrhoea, abdominal pain).

    1996 October 5, Williamson Z. Bradford et al., “The changing epidemiology of acquired drug-resistant tuberculosis in San Francisco, USA”, in The Lancet, volume 348, number 9032, →PMID, page 929

    Several nurses stood outside the doors holding clipboards and dispensing yellow plastic emesis basins to a restless line of a least^([sic]) a dozen patients in long sleeves, heavy trousers, and work boots.

    2010, Candace Calvert, chapter 1, in Disaster Status, Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, page 7

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe reflex act of ejecting the contents of the stomach through the mouth

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἔμεσις
  2. Englishemesis

From Ancient Greek ἔμεσις (émesis), from ἐμέω (eméō, “vomit”). Compare ἔμετος (émetos, “vomit”, noun). By surface analysis, suffixed with -esis.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian повръщане
  • повръщане (povrăštane)act of vomiting
Finnish oksentaminen
  • oksentaminenact of vomiting
Indonesian emesis, pemuntahan
  • emesisact of vomiting
  • pemuntahanact of vomiting
Polish wymiotowanie
  • wymiotowanieact of vomiting
Portuguese êmese, émese
  • êmeseact of vomiting
  • émeseact of vomiting
Russian рво́та, блева́ние
  • рво́та (rvóta)act of vomiting
  • блева́ние (blevánije)act of vomiting
  • блево́та (blevóta)act of vomiting
Spanish emesis
  • emesisact of vomiting

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

emesis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emesis

MLA

“emesis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emesis. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “emesis,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emesis.

Source: emesis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.