regurgitate

[ ri-gur-ji-teyt ]

verb (used without object)

, re·gur·gi·tat·ed, re·gur·gi·tat·ing.

1. to surge or rush back, as liquids, gases, undigested food, etc.

verb (used with object)

, re·gur·gi·tat·ed, re·gur·gi·tat·ing.

1. to cause to surge or rush back; vomit.
2. to give back or repeat, especially something not fully understood or assimilated:

   to regurgitate the teacher's lectures on the exam.

regurgitate

/ rɪˈɡɜːdʒɪˌteɪt /

verb

1. to vomit forth (partially digested food)
2. (of some birds and certain other animals) to bring back to the mouth (undigested or partly digested food with which to feed the young)
3. intr to be cast up or out, esp from the mouth
4. intr med (of blood) to flow backwards, in a direction opposite to the normal one, esp through a defective heart valve

Derived Forms

• reˌgurgiˈtation, noun
• reˈgurgitant, nounadjective

Other Words From

• re·gur·gi·tant [ri-, gur, -ji-t, uh, nt], noun
• unre·gurgi·tated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of regurgitate¹

1645–55; < Medieval Latin regurgitātus (past participle of regurgitāre ), equivalent to re- re- + gurgit-, stem of gurges whirlpool, flood, stream + -ātus -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of regurgitate¹

C17: from Medieval Latin regurgitāre , from re- + gurgitāre to flood, from Latin gurges gulf, whirlpool

Example Sentences

“Social platforms realized that they could endlessly mine the content they already had and regurgitate it back to consumers,” Lorenz said.

From Slate

He asked to remain anonymous, but he had worked on material that was used to train the viral AI chatbot ChatGPT, so that it was programmed not to regurgitate horrific material.

From BBC

As one former student of Gwen Walz wrote in the Washington Post: “She taught her honors English classes like they were college courses. We were expected to think and analyze, not just regurgitate information.”

From Slate

It is, however, more unusual for them to regurgitate food, but he suspects this 3m-long shark underestimated its catch.

From BBC

I’m reminded of how easy it is for people to regurgitate talking points that were used to delegitimize student movements in the ’60s, talk of outside agitators, talk of professional agitators.

From Los Angeles Times