gag reflex
7
4.1
- noun
- /ɡæɡ ˈrɛflɛks/
- Specialized
:
reflejo nauseoso
- Touching the back of the throat can trigger a strong gag reflex, causing the person to retch.
- trigger a gag reflex
- suppress your gag reflex
- fight a gag reflex
Wait, if you have no gag reflex, is that good or bad?
- Wait, if you have no gag reflex, is that good or bad?
- Well, the bitter receptors create a what we call labeled line, a unique trajectory to the neurons of the brain stem that control the the gag reflex.
Examples
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He made a full recovery from the pneumonia but continued to have poor chest muscle strength and an absent gag reflex.
Academic text (2007) -
I have no gag reflex.
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Wait, if you have no gag reflex, is that good or bad?
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God, I wish I had my gag reflex back.
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Got a very sensitive gag reflex.
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My gag reflex kicked in when I saw that picture.
Blog text (11) -
I don't have a gag reflex.
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Especially shrimp, the smell of which very literally triggers my gag reflex.
Blog text (34) -
Would my gag reflex kick in when the thick paste hit the back of my throat?
Blog text (9) -
I have a terrible gag reflex, and I would sit there and gag and gag, and the dentist would be all, "Hold still."
Blog text (16)
Synonyms
A quick reaction that makes you retch or gag when the back of the throat is touched
How Strong
- Specialized
- Specialized
7
4.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'gag' (to retch or choke) combined with 'reflex' (an automatic bodily response) yields an automatic retching response. This is a literal, descriptive medical term with similar phrasing in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The term gag reflex combines gag, which means to choke or feel like 'vomiting', and reflex, a quick action you do without thinking. So it names the automatic throat movement when the back of the mouth is touched that can make you want to 'vomit'.