spew

views updated May 21 2018

spew / spyoō/ • v. [tr.] expel large quantities of (something) rapidly and forcibly: buses were spewing out black clouds of exhaust. ∎  [intr.] be poured or forced out in large quantities: oil spewed out of the damaged tanker. ∎  [intr.] inf. vomit.DERIVATIVES: spew·er n.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

spew

views updated May 23 2018

spew vomit. (i) OE. str. vb. spīwan = OS., OHG. spīwan (G. speien), ON. spýja, Goth. speiwan; (ii) OE. wk. vb. spēowan, spīowan, corr. to L. spuere, Gr. ptûein; of imit. orig.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

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