People Are Left Shocked After Finally Learning The Real Meaning Behind A 'Roman Shower'

People online have been reacting with pure shock after learning what a “Roman shower” really refers to, and the meaning is far more intense than the name suggests.

You might have heard of a Roman candle, the firework, but this related term takes a completely different turn and has nothing to do with ancient pyrotechnics.

The Roman Empire left behind a long list of things they’re known for, from massive conquests and intricate road networks to volcanic disasters and gladiator battles.

They’re also famous for borrowing ancient Greek gods and giving them new names. But this modern expression is definitely not one of their official cultural contributions.

The internet loves the running joke that men think about the Roman Empire every day. But if anyone ended up thinking about a “Roman shower” instead, the reaction would probably be very different.

At this point, you might already be guessing where this term is heading. If you suspect it's connected to a sexual act, then you’re on the right track, so anyone who prefers to skip explicit descriptions may want to look away now.

Some people assume it involves urine, since that’s a known sexual term, but that guess doesn’t match this particular phrase.

No not that kind of shower d3sign/Getty

While urine is part of what’s known as a “golden shower,” that isn’t what this term is referring to at all.

A Roman shower does involve one partner releasing bodily fluids onto the other, but it isn’t urine.

And to rule it out properly, it is also not feces.

So the obvious question becomes: which fluid does the term refer to?

A Roman shower describes a consensual act where one partner vomits on the other, something that left many people stunned once they learned the meaning.

After the definition made its way around social media, people took to a LoveHoney forum to share their reactions and process the shock.

There are plenty of vomitoria in this photo Guven Ozdemir/Getty

One person wrote: "This is a new one for me. Wouldn't be something I'd want to try."

A second added: "Whew, just when I thought I had heard of everything, I stumble across this post. I clicked it because you know, curiosity and all but WHOA."

Meanwhile, a third commenter said: "I don't enjoy being sick normally, so there's zero chance of me doing it for a sex thrill."

This unusual term left many people wondering where it even came from in the first place.

Its name is believed to stem from a long-standing misunderstanding about ancient Roman culture, especially about how Romans participated in large feasts.

The myth claims wealthy Romans would gorge themselves until they could barely move, then head off to a “vomitorium” to empty their stomachs before returning to eat more.

According to the legend, guests would make themselves throw up so they could continue eating without feeling uncomfortable, which helped fuel the idea of Roman excess.

The story has circulated for years as an example of overindulgence, painting Romans as people who ate only for pleasure rather than for hunger.

But historians have explained that the entire idea is false. A “vomitorium” was actually a type of architectural passageway inside amphitheaters. It allowed huge crowds to exit quickly, which gave the appearance of people “pouring out” into the streets.

The term is still used in modern theater and stage design, where certain exits are casually referred to as “voms” for the same reason.