Definition

1. Noun:
   • An emetic; a substance that induces vomiting: A vomitive is a medicine or agent specifically administered to cause nausea and vomiting, typically to expel poison or harmful substances from the stomach.

Usage

• The word "vomitive" is a formal and technical term, primarily used in medical, pharmacological, or historical contexts. It is less common in everyday speech than its synonym "emetic."

Examples

• Noun:
  • In ancient medical practice, a common vomitive was ipecac syrup.
  • The doctor administered a vomitive to the patient who had ingested the toxic substance.

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Literary Context: The term can appear in historical texts describing old medical treatments.
  • The 18th-century physician's kit contained several powerful vomitives.

Variants and Related Words

• Vomitory (noun): In historical Roman architecture, a vomitory is a passageway for entering or exiting an amphitheater or stadium. This is a distinct word with a different meaning, though it shares the same Latin root (, meaning "to discharge").
  • The crowds exited the Colosseum through the large vomitories.

Synonyms

• Emetic (noun): A substance that causes vomiting. This is the most direct and commonly used synonym in modern English.
• Nauseant (noun): An agent that induces nausea, which may or may not lead to vomiting.

Antonyms

• Antiemetic (noun): A medicine that prevents or relieves nausea and vomiting.

Noun

1. a medicine that induces nausea and vomiting