What does boke mean?
Boke is an informal British verb meaning to vomit, or sometimes merely to retch or gag as if about to be sick. It belongs chiefly to the dialects of Northern England and Scotland, where it serves as the everyday word for being sick in the way that other regions might say 'be sick', 'throw up', or 'puke'. The word carries a distinctly colloquial flavour: it appears in casual speech, local writing, and humour rather than in formal prose, and its earthy sound matches its unglamorous subject matter. A typical use might be complaining that a foul smell was enough to make someone boke, or recounting a night when a friend boke after too much drink. Outside its heartland the word can puzzle listeners, so writers targeting a general audience usually pair it with context that makes the meaning clear. Its precise etymology is obscure, which adds to its charm as a piece of living regional vocabulary that has survived centuries of everyday use.
To vomit; to bring up the contents of the stomach through the mouth.
"After the rollercoaster ride, she felt sure she was going to boke."
To retch or gag as if about to vomit, without necessarily bringing anything up.
"The stench from the bins made him boke before he even reached the door."
In parts of northern England and Scotland, nobody 'throws up' — they 'boke', a word so old its exact origins have been lost to history.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of boke
Boke is recorded from Middle English, appearing in various spellings in medieval texts, though its ultimate origin remains uncertain; some lexicographers have suggested it may be of imitative origin, echoing the sound of retching. It has survived primarily as a dialectal word in Northern England and Scotland, where related forms appear in Scots usage. Because its early history is murky, no secure cognates in other languages can be confidently identified.
How boke is actually used
Boke is informal and strongly regional, heard mainly in Northern England and Scotland; outside those areas it may not be understood. It carries a colloquial, often mildly humorous register rather than clinical or formal tone.
Easily confused with boke
Broke means having no money or having been fractured, while 'boke' is a dialectal verb meaning to vomit — they differ by only one letter but are unrelated words.