Borborygmi
You know that noise your stomach makes when you’re digesting? You know- the one that you desprately try to keep quiet when you’re watching a movie with your girlfriend’s family for the first time. Derived from the Greek word, borborygmus, this noise is produced when your bowels are digesting your food.
Trapped air and gas also contributes to the noise! But like yelling at a construction worker for holding up traffic, you really can’t be upset about someone doing their job.
Cachinnation
Ever find yourself forcing a laugh? You’re not alone. A 2013 study showed that, when people laugh out loud, it’s only because they’ve found something funny about 20 percent of the time. However, when you have REAL laughter– the one that you can’t control and makes for the best memories, it’s known as Cachinnation.
Cicatrization
Cicatrization refers to the healing process or a scar (not pictured above) or wound. It’s a nice word to drop the next time you want to impress someone, isn’t it?
Deglutition
As you might have guessed from the incredibly non-suggestive GIF above, Deglutition is the proper word for swallowing.
Eructation
This is the medical term for the act of burping. The actual burp itself, however, is properly known as a ‘ructus.’
Flatus
The opposite of a burp… need I say more?
Horripilation
What we typically know as “goosebumps” is actually something called Horripilation. Otherwise known as piloerection, this is also seen in animals when they are stressed or under attack.
Lachrymation
This is the scientific term for crying, named so because it is the result of tears being produced in the lachrymal glands above the outer edges of the eyes.
Mastication
This is the technical term for chewing! This comes from the old greek word for ‘mashing your teeth together.’
Nictitation
Coming from the old pre-Latin word meaning “to incline or bend together,” nictitation describes the act of blinking or winking!
Obdormition
While this term technically describes being asleep, it’s most commonly used to describe the feeling of pins and needles that you get when part of your body goes numb.
Pandiculation
This term describes all of the things you do when you FIRST wake up: Yawning, stretching, rubbing your eyes, regretting the booze, etc.
Rhinorrhoea
Rhinorrhoea is the technical term for having a runny nose.
Singultus
Ever sob so hard that you can hardly breathe, let alone talk? That is known, scientifically, as Singultus.
Sternutation
Sternutation refers to either a singular sneeze OR a sneezing fit!
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