retch
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɹɛtʃ/
- Rhymes: -ɛtʃ
- Homophone: wretch
Etymology 1
From Middle English *recchen, *rechen, from Old English hrǣċan (“to clear the throat, hawk, spit”), from Proto-Germanic *hrēkijaną (“to clear one's throat”), from Proto-Indo-European *kreg- (“to caw, crow”). Cognate with Icelandic hrækja (“to hawk, spit”), Limburgish räöke (“to induce vomiting”). Also related with German Rachen (“throat”).
Alternative forms
- reach (archaic or dialectal)
Verb
retch (third-person singular simple present retches, present participle retching, simple past and past participle retched)
Translations
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Translations
Etymology 2
From Middle English recchen (“to care; heed”), from Old English rēċċan, variant of rēċan (“to care; reck”), from Proto-Germanic *rōkijaną (“to care”), from Proto-Indo-European *reǵ- (“straight, right, just”).
Verb
retch (third-person singular simple present retches, present participle retching, simple past and past participle retched)
- (transitive, intransitive, obsolete) To reck
Related terms
Etymology 3
From Middle English recchen, from Old English reċċan (“to stretch, extend”), from Proto-Germanic *rakjaną (“to straighten, stretch”).
Verb
retch (third-person singular simple present retches, present participle retching, simple past and past participle retched or (obsolete) raught)
- (dialectal) to reach