- Yak is a term used in colloquial speech to mean “to throw up.” It is somewhat of a dysphemism, since its onomatopoeic origin evokes a stronger image of the unpleasant phenomenon of vomiting (despite its spelling in this entry, this word is entirely unrelated to yak, the bovine animal). Originally, it simply meant to vomit, but recently, its meaning has both broadened and narrowed; it has broadened in the sense that it now can refer also to any type of sickness – typically involving stomach pain, but can include as much as passing out – and it has narrowed in that it typically is only used in the context of alcohol. The spelling of this word is also contested – it has been spelled yak, yack, and yac.
yak
verb onomatopoeia
1. a. To vomit. b. To become sick or incapacitated, especially due to excessive alcohol consumption.
Etymology : of onomatopoeic/imitative origin, mimicking the sound of vomiting.
Source : “If somebody yaks at the pregame, then we can’t go to Architectronica!” (a friend at Jones College, 11/14/19)
Last modified: 11 December 2019