What does emetics mean?
An emetic is a substance that triggers vomiting, and "emetics" is the standard plural form used to refer to such agents collectively. The word belongs mainly to medical and scientific language: for much of recorded history, emetics were a cornerstone of treating poisoning, since provoking the patient to vomit was thought to expel harmful substances from the stomach. The best-known example is syrup of ipecac, derived from the root of a Brazilian plant, which was long kept in home medicine cabinets until modern toxicologists concluded it was largely ineffective and potentially harmful, leading to its clinical abandonment. Today, genuine therapeutic use of emetics has largely been replaced by activated charcoal and other treatments, but the word persists in pharmacology, veterinary medicine, and descriptions of naturally occurring toxins — certain plants and spoiled foods, for example, are described as acting as emetics. The term derives from the Greek "emein," meaning "to vomit," the same root behind "emesis," the formal medical word for vomiting itself.
nounEmetics are substances that induce vomiting, used especially in medicine to empty the stomach after poisoning or drug overdose.
- Substances that induce vomiting; agents given to provoke emesis, historically used to treat poisoning or overdose.
"Before modern gastric lavage became standard practice, physicians routinely relied on emetics to clear poisons from a patient's stomach."
"The emergency manual from the 1970s advised keeping ipecac syrup on hand as one of the household's emetics."
"Certain alkaloids found in the plant act as potent emetics, causing vomiting within minutes of ingestion."
"Emetics" is already the plural of "emetic"; the singular is "an emetic." The plural is preferred when speaking of these substances as a class.
"Veterinarians once stockpiled several different emetics for treating poisoned animals."
For centuries, one of the world's most trusted emetics was ipecac syrup — made from the root of a South American plant — until doctors realized it was doing more harm than good and quietly retired it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of emetics
The word traces back through Latin "emeticus" to the Greek "emetikos," derived from "emein," meaning "to vomit." English adopted it in the early seventeenth century, first as an adjective describing things that induce vomiting, then as a noun for the agents themselves. It shares its Greek root with "emesis" (the medical term for vomiting), "hematemesis" (vomiting blood), and "emetophobia" (the fear of vomiting).
Related word forms
How emetics is actually used
"Emetics" is almost always used in its plural form when referring to the substances collectively; the singular "an emetic" is common in medical and historical writing. The word belongs chiefly to medical, veterinary, and toxicological registers rather than everyday speech.
Easily confused with emetics
"Emesis" is the medical term for the act of vomiting itself, while "emetics" are the substances that cause it.