retch

Meanings

Verb

• to reach
• To make an unsuccessful effort to vomit; to strain, as in vomiting.
• To reck

Noun

• An unsuccessful effort to vomit.

Origin

• From Middle English *recchen, *rechen (attested in arechen), hræcen, from Old English hrǣċan ("to clear the throat, hawk, spit"), from Proto-West Germanic *hrākijan, from Proto-Germanic *hrēkijaną ("to clear one's throat"), from Proto-Indo-European *kreg- ("to caw, crow"). Cognate with Icelandic hrækja, Limburgish räöke. Also related with German Rachen.
• From Middle English recchen, from Old English rēċċan, variant of rēċan, from Proto-Germanic *rōkijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *reǵ-.
• From Middle English recchen, from Old English reċċan, from Proto-West Germanic *rakkjan, from Proto-Germanic *rakjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃roǵéyeti.