adj., n., & v.
adj. 1 (often in comb.) esp. Brit. vomiting or tending to vomit (feels sick; has been sick; seasick). 2 esp. US ill; affected by illness (has been sick for a week; a sick man; sick with measles). 3 a (often foll. by at) esp. mentally perturbed; disordered (the product of a sick mind; sick at heart). b (often foll. by for, or in comb.) pining; longing (sick for a sight of home; lovesick). 4 (often foll. by of) colloq. a disgusted; surfeited (sick of chocolates). b angry, esp. because of surfeit (am sick of being teased). 5 colloq. (of humour etc.) jeering at misfortune, illness, death, etc.; morbid (sick joke). 6 (of a ship) needing repair (esp. of a specified kind) (paint-sick).
n. Brit. colloq. vomit.
v.tr. (usu. foll. by up) Brit. colloq. vomit (sicked up his dinner). go sick report oneself as ill. look sick colloq. be unimpressive or embarrassed. sick at (or to) one's stomach US vomiting or tending to vomit. sick-benefit Brit. an allowance made by the State to a person absent from work through sickness. sick building syndrome a high incidence of illness in office workers, attributed to the immediate working surroundings. sick-call 1 a visit by a doctor to a sick person etc. 2 Mil. a summons for sick men to attend. sick-flag a yellow flag indicating disease at a quarantine station or on ship. sick headache a migraine headache with vomiting. sick-leave leave of absence granted because of illness. sick-list a list of the sick, esp. in a regiment, ship, etc. sick-making colloq. sickening. sick nurse = NURSE. sick-pay pay given to an employee etc. on sick-leave. take sick colloq. be taken ill. sickish adj.
[ OE seoc f. Gmc ]