regurgitation
regurgitation Lexical Profile
regurgitation Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The act or process of bringing swallowed food or fluid back up into the mouth from the esophagus or stomach, as practiced by certain birds to feed their young or by ruminants during digestion.
"Many seabirds rely on regurgitation to transport partially digested fish back to their chicks in the nest."
The uncritical repetition of facts, ideas, or information that has been memorized without genuine comprehension or analysis.
"The professor designed the final essay prompt to test critical thinking rather than the mere regurgitation of lecture notes."
The abnormal backward flow of blood into the heart or between heart chambers through a defective or incompletely closed valve.
"An echocardiogram confirmed mild mitral valve regurgitation, which the cardiologist decided to monitor annually."
Word Nuance & Usage
In medical and zoological contexts, 'regurgitation' is distinct from 'vomiting': regurgitation is the passive, effortless return of undigested stomach or esophageal contents to the mouth without nausea or forceful abdominal contractions.
• Rhymes for regurgitation
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin 'regurgitatio', from 'regurgitare' ('to engulf again, overflow'), formed from the prefix 're-' ('back, again') and Late Latin 'gurgitare' ('to engulf, flood'), ultimately from Latin 'gurges' ('whirlpool, abyss, or throat').