Feeling like you might throw up or are about to be sick. It can also describe someone who feels unsure, uneasy, or uncomfortable about something.
Origin uncertain, but possibly from Old English or Middle English 'quesy.' Some scholars suggest it may relate to 'quash' or come from Scandinavian sources. The word has been used since the 1600s to describe nausea, and the figurative sense of 'uneasy' or 'uncertain' developed naturally from the physical discomfort. The exact original source remains debated by etymologists.
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