Vomiting

Vomiting (emesis or regurgitation) is the expulsion through the mouth of the contents of one's stomach. It is a mechanism for expelling ingested illness causing food, poisons or (in birds) nutrition for the young. The act may be triggered by stimuli which might indicate the possibility of poisoning, such as motion sickness, or sight of decayed food, or other people vomiting. The act may also be triggered intentionally by touching the back of the throat with a finger, feather or beak.

The feeling that one is about to vomit is called nausea.

Examination of the micro-fungal content of vomit can be a means of indentifying illness. Also known as vomitus, vomit contains a high concentration of hydronium and is thus strongly acidic.

Some adult birds regurgitate food to feed their young. The food can be either incompletely digested or partially predigested, depending on the species.

Some bird species may also use regurgitation as a form of defense, vomiting when wounded or molested. When an intruder or a predator comes near a fulmar on its nest, the bird vomits oil up to 3 feet at the enemy.

In the case of nausea, it can be useful to have a bucket nearby to vomit in if one can not reach a toilet in time. On airplanes (and sometimes on buses and ferries) special bags are supplied for this purpose. Alternatively a special disposable bag is used containing absorbent material that solidifies the vomit in 5 to 10 seconds, making it convenient and safe to keep (leakproof, puncture resistant, odorless) until there is an opportunity to dispose of it (conveniently like regular garbage). It is also used for urination in special circumstances.

Slang terms for vomiting: Throw up (phrasal verb), puke, barf, chunder, heave, boke, hurl, blow chunks, spew, upchuck.