They might sound like something unpleasant to modern-day ears, but voms have actually been part of the theatre for thousands of years. “Vom” is short for vomitorium, which comes from the Latin verb vomo/vomitus, meaning “to vomit or spew forth.” But again, not in the way we may think about vomiting these days! A vomitorium is a corridor built beneath or behind the seats of a coliseum, stadium, theatre, arena, or other large building. It’s designed to facilitate the movement of large numbers of people, which means it actually “vomits” or “spews” people out of the building at the end of an event.