What does emetic mean?
An emetic is a substance — usually a drug — that triggers vomiting. Historically, emetics played a prominent role in medicine: physicians routinely induced vomiting to rid the stomach of poisons or to treat illness according to older theories of bodily balance. The best-known example is ipecac syrup, once a staple of household medicine cabinets and recommended for accidental poisoning in children. Modern medical practice has largely abandoned deliberate induction of vomiting, because aspiration and other complications often outweigh any benefit, so today emetics are used mainly in veterinary settings or under strict supervision. The word is formal and technical, appearing chiefly in medical, pharmacological, and veterinary contexts. It derives from the Greek root emein, "to vomit," the same root seen in "emesis," the clinical noun for the act of vomiting. Related adjectival use — as in an "emetic effect" — describes anything that provokes nausea and expulsion of the stomach's contents.
nounAn emetic is a substance that induces vomiting, especially one administered medicinally to expel poison from the stomach.
- A substance, typically a drug, that induces vomiting; used medically to empty the stomach, for instance after poisoning.
"The physician administered an emetic to bring up the poison the child had swallowed."
"Ipecac syrup was long kept in home medicine cabinets as an emergency emetic for accidental poisonings."
"The vet gave the dog an emetic within minutes of it swallowing the chocolate."
The plural refers either to multiple doses or, commonly, to the class of substances collectively (e.g., "emetics have fallen out of favor").
"Older formularies listed dozens of emetics alongside purgatives and sudorifics."
For centuries, doctors kept emetics on hand to purge poisons — until it became clear that making someone vomit could do more harm than good.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of emetic
Emetic comes from the Greek emetikos, derived from emein, "to vomit," which itself traces back to the Indo-European root *wem- meaning to spew or vomit. The word passed into Latin as emeticus before entering English in the early 17th century, when medical texts began using it for vomiting-inducing remedies such as ipecacuanha and tartar emetic. It shares its Greek root with the modern medical term "emesis," the clinical word for the act of vomiting.
How emetic is actually used
"Emetic" is a formal, technical term found mainly in medical and pharmacological writing. It can also function as an adjective meaning "causing vomiting" (as in "an emetic effect"), though this adjectival use is less common. In everyday speech people simply say something "makes you vomit" rather than calling it an emetic.
Easily confused with emetic
Emesis is the act of vomiting itself, whereas an emetic is the substance that causes it.
Emotive relates to expressing or arousing emotion, while an emetic is a vomiting-inducing agent — they share only a superficial resemblance in spelling.