Nauseant: meaning, definitions and examples
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nauseant
[ ˈnɔːziənt ]
causing nausea
A nauseant is a substance that induces feelings of nausea or sickness. It can refer to specific medications or chemicals that provoke a sense of unease in the stomach and induce vomiting. Nauseants are often used in medical contexts to describe drugs that lead to such reactions.
Synonyms
emetic, nausea-inducing agent.
Examples of usage
- The nauseant effects of the medication were unexpected.
- She felt a nauseant wave wash over her after the treatment.
- The doctor warned that the nausea was a common nauseant reaction to the surgery.
Etymology
The word 'nauseant' derives from the Latin root 'nausea', which means 'seasickness' or 'disgust'. This term further traces its etymology to the Greek word 'naus', meaning 'ship' or 'boat', relating to the feeling of sickness often associated with being on a moving vessel. The suffix '-ant' suggests an agent or something that causes a particular effect, thus creating the term 'nauseant' to denote an agent that causes nausea. Its usage in the medical or scientific context emphasizes the specific action of inducing nausea, furthering its relevance in discussions about drugs and chemicals that provoke these unpleasant sensations.