# puke

> English word · Noun · IPA /pjuːk/ · frequency rank #20,193

## Definitions
1. vomit.
2. A drug that induces vomiting.
3. A worthless, despicable person.
4. A person from Missouri.

## Etymology
Probably imitative; or, alternatively related to Proto-Germanic *pukaną (“to spit, puff”), from Proto-Indo-European *bew- (“to blow, swell”). If so, then related to German pfauchen, fauchen (“to hiss, spit”), Dutch spugen (“to spit, spit up”), German spucken (“to spit, puke, throw up”), and Old English spīwan (“to vomit, spit”). More at spew.
Attested as early as 1581, first mention is the derivative pukishness (“the tendency to be sick frequently”). In 1600, "to spit up, regurgitate", recorded in the Seven Ages of Man speech in Shakespeare's As You Like It.

## Easily confused with
- **put** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-put)
- **pup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-pup)
- **pun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-pun)
- **pus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-pus)
- **pur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-pur)
- **pye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-pye)
- **pull** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-pull)
- **push** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-push)
- **pure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-pure)
- **puts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-puts)
- **pump** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-pump)
- **punk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-punk)
- **pulp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-pulp)
- **punt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-punt)
- **Pune** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-pune)
- **pups** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-pups)
- **puma** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-puma)
- **putt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-putt)
- **puns** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-puns)
- **puss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/puke-vs-puss)

## Common misspellings (5)
`pkue`, `ppuke`, `puek`, `pukke`, `upke`

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