spew

[ spyoo ]

verb (used without object)

1. to discharge the contents of the stomach through the mouth; vomit.

verb (used with object)

1. to eject from the stomach through the mouth; vomit.
2. to cast forth, gush, or eject, as in disgust or anger:

   The angry sergeant spewed his charges at us.

noun

1. something that is spewed; vomit.

spew

/ spjuː /

verb

1. to eject (the contents of the stomach) involuntarily through the mouth; vomit
2. to spit (spittle, phlegm, etc) out of the mouth
3. usually foll by out to send or be sent out in a stream

   flames spewed out

noun

1. something ejected from the mouth

Derived Forms

• ˈspewer, noun

Other Words From

• spewer noun
• un·spewed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spew¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English spewen “to vomit, cast forth foul language,” Old English spīwan “to vomit”; cognate with German speien, Old Norse spȳja, Gothic speiwan, Latin spuere

Word History and Origins

Origin of spew¹

Old English spīwan; related to Old Norse spӯja, Gothic speiwan, Old High German spīwan, Latin spuere, Lithuanian spiauti

Example Sentences

I know Leo is still too young to understand these words, but the fact that Darius would spew such vile language at a baby is very concerning to me.”

From Los Angeles Times

Students studied environmental justice and submitted alternate environmental plans for the site, along with photos from their bedroom windows that overlooked the lot where trucks would spew exhaust, sometimes as close as 15 feet away.

From Salon

As Quartz reported Wednesday, users are also complaining about an onerous software-update process, malfunctioning Siri mechanisms, and A.I.-generated responses that are even less accurate than those that spew from hallucinating engines like ChatGPT.

From Slate

San Francisco — Jet airplanes spew enormous amounts of greenhouse gases and noxious chemicals, but the industry insists it wants to clean itself up.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump called Harris’ closing argument “hate-filled” while he continued to spew hatred, and after a comedian at his Nazi-lie rally in New York’s Madison Square Garden called Puerto Rico — part of the United States — an island of floating garbage.

From Salon

Related Words

• belch
• cascade
• eject
• erupt
• gush
• heave
• scatter
• spit
• vomit