The medical term for vomiting is emesis, the forceful emptying of the stomach contents out through the mouth. Clinicians also simply write vomiting, and nausea with vomiting is often shortened to N/V.
Emesis comes from a Greek verb meaning to vomit, and the same root sits inside antiemetic, hematemesis and hyperemesis. Patients run into the word on emergency visit summaries, after surgery and in notes about pregnancy or chemotherapy. Read on for the usual chart spellings, the color and content words attached to it, and why regurgitation and retching are charted separately.
At a glance
Medical term
Emesis (plural emeses)Word roots
Greek emein, to vomitRelated forms
Emetic, antiemetic, hematemesis, hyperemesisWritten as
Emesis, vomiting, N/V (with nausea)Do not confuse with
Regurgitation, retching, refluxWhere you see it
ED notes, nursing flow sheets, recovery room records
The medical term for vomiting, explained
Emesis names both the event and, in hospital speech, the material that comes up. A nurse may write "emesis x3" to count episodes, or "large emesis" to describe the amount. The plain word vomiting is just as correct in a chart, and many clinicians switch between the two in the same note.
On its own, vomiting names a symptom rather than a diagnosis. It can come from a stomach virus, food poisoning, motion sickness, migraine, pregnancy, medicine side effects, a blocked bowel or many other causes. The term alone tells you what happened, not why. The history, exam findings and test results elsewhere in the note are where the cause is worked out.
Describing words that travel with emesis
Clinicians rarely write emesis on its own. They add a word about color or content, because that detail can point toward where the problem lies.
| Chart wording | Plain meaning |
|---|---|
| Nonbilious | No green or yellow bile seen |
| Bilious | Green or yellow fluid that contains bile |
| Coffee ground emesis | Dark brown, grainy material that can mean old blood |
| Hematemesis | Vomiting blood |
| Projectile | Forceful vomiting that shoots out with great pressure |
| Undigested food | Recognizable food from a recent meal |
Bloody or coffee ground emesis is often linked to bleeding in the upper digestive tract, which a team may record as a GIB. Bilious vomiting can raise concern for a blockage such as an SBO.
Emesis in real notes and orders
Here is how the word shows up in everyday documentation and what each line is saying.
Nursing note: "Pt c/o nausea, one small emesis of clear fluid, tolerating sips." The patient felt sick, vomited once a small amount of clear liquid, and can now keep down small drinks.
Order set after surgery: "Ondansetron 4 mg IV q6h PRN N/V." A medicine against nausea may be given through a vein every six hours if needed. This shows the format only and is not a dose for anyone to follow.
When vomiting is severe, a team may make a person NPO, meaning nothing by mouth, to let the stomach rest while fluids go in through an IV.
Words built from the same root
Once you know that emesis means vomiting, a group of related terms becomes easy to read.
- Emetic: something that causes vomiting.
- Antiemetic: a medicine that prevents or reduces nausea and vomiting, such as ondansetron or metoclopramide.
- Hyperemesis: excessive vomiting. Hyperemesis gravidarum is severe, lasting vomiting in pregnancy that can cause dehydration and weight loss.
- Hematemesis: vomiting blood, from hemat/o for blood.
- Emesis basin: the kidney shaped bowl kept at the bedside.
The full map of how prefixes, roots and suffixes combine lives in the medical terminology hub.
Look alike terms that mean something else
Several symptoms sound close to vomiting but are charted differently, and the difference matters to the care team.
Regurgitation is a passive return of food or fluid into the mouth without the strong muscle effort of vomiting, common with reflux and in infants who spit up. Retching, sometimes called dry heaves, is the heaving motion without anything coming up. Nausea is the queasy feeling that often comes before emesis but can happen alone. Hemoptysis means coughing up blood from the lungs, which is a separate problem from hematemesis even though both involve blood at the mouth.
Questions to bring to your care team
Spotting emesis on a visit summary can raise questions. These ones help turn the chart wording into a plan.
- What do you think is causing the vomiting?
- What signs of dehydration should I watch for at home?
- When should I come back or call, for example if I see blood or green fluid?
- Is there a medicine for nausea I can use, and how should it be taken?
This page describes medical vocabulary only. If vomiting keeps coming back or worries you, your own doctor, nurse or pharmacist is the one to assess it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the medical term for vomiting?
The medical term is emesis. Clinicians also write vomiting in full, and when nausea comes with it they often shorten the pair to N/V.
What does nonbilious emesis mean?
It means the vomit did not contain bile, so it was not green or yellow. Teams note this because bile in vomit can be a clue to a blockage lower in the gut.
Is emesis the same as nausea?
No. Nausea is the uneasy, sick feeling in the stomach, while emesis is the actual act of bringing stomach contents up. Feeling queasy without ever throwing up is common.
What is an antiemetic?
An antiemetic is a medicine that helps prevent or ease nausea and vomiting. Ondansetron and metoclopramide are two common generic examples, and your prescriber decides which one fits.
What does hyperemesis mean?
Hyperemesis means excessive vomiting. The best known form is hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe type of vomiting during pregnancy that often needs medical care for fluids and nutrition.