Meaning & use
Horripilation
Last updated
The bristling of body hair caused by cold, fear, or excitement; goosebumps.
See it in a sentence
A wave of horripilation swept over her as the ghost story reached its climax.
The biology lecture explained horripilation as a reflex controlled by tiny muscles at the base of each hair follicle.
A note on using this word
From Latin "horrere" (to bristle) and "pilus" (hair), this formal term describes the same reflex casually called goosebumps.
Words with a similar meaning
goosebumpspiloerection
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