verb / noun

retch

RETCH/retʃ/

An involuntary effort to vomit.

The woman retches over the basin.

A woman bends sharply over a plain basin in a visible dry-heaving posture: mouth open, tongue slightly forward, eyes squeezed shut, shoulders hunched, and one hand pressed against her contracted upper abdomen.

Etymology

Old English hræcan meant to cough up or spit. The English word originally described clearing the throat or coughing up phlegm, then shifted to the straining efforts made when about to vomit.

More examples

She heard a retch from the adjoining room.
He was retching but brought nothing up.
The passenger retched into the bag.

Forms

retch · retches · retched · retching

Similar words

vomit: Vomit expels stomach contents; retch is the effort and may produce nothing.
gag: Gag is a throat reflex; retch involves the muscular effort associated with vomiting.