# gack

> English word · Interjection · IPA /ɡæk/

## Definitions
1. A sharp, sudden sound from someone's throat while they're coughing, vomiting, gagging, etc.
2. An expression of disgust or disapproval.
3. An expression of trepidation.

## Etymology
Apparently onomatopoeic and believed to have first appeared in comic strips. Compare gag (“to choke; to retch”) and hack (“to cough noisily”).
The "cocaine" and "meth" senses apparently comes from the fact that snorting the drugs often activates a person's gag reflex.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/gack