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Horripilation: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Horripilation noun. The bristling of the hairs on the skin from cold, fear or excitement.
How to say it
ho-rip-ih-LAY-shun/hɒˌrɪpɪˈleɪʃ(ə)n/
5 syllables, stressed on the fourth (LAY).
Horripilation in a sentence
The choir's opening chord sent a shiver of horripilation down my arms.
Horripilation is a leftover from hairier ancestors, who looked bigger when their fur stood up.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- goose pimples
- gooseflesh
- goosebumps
Where horripilation comes from
From Latin horrere, to bristle, and pilus, a hair.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
_____ is a leftover from hairier ancestors, who looked bigger when their fur stood up.
- tsundoku
- apophenia
- horripilation
Show the answer
horripilation: Horripilation is a leftover from hairier ancestors, who looked bigger when their fur stood up.