flatulence

American  

[flach-uh-luhns] / ˈflætʃ ə ləns /

Sometimes flatulency

noun

• flatulences
  plural

1. the condition of having an accumulation of gas in the alimentary canal.

   To avoid the uncomfortable feeling of flatulence, increase your fiber intake gradually.

2. the expulsion of alimentary gas through the anus.

   Symptoms include abdominal discomfort, flatulence, and headache.

3. inflated and empty speech or writing; unsupported pretension; pomposity.

   His lectures, noted for their flatulence, were popular fodder for mocking.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• flatulences
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of flatulence

First recorded in 1700–10; from French ; flatul(ent) ( def. ) + -ence ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flatulence

Mr. Theroux is deliciously dyspeptic, and he describes present-day books of travel as “lazy and imitative, celebrating the encroaching triviality of popular culture, or else unreadable for their flatulence and frivolity.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

Napoleon exclaims during an extended instance of flatulence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

Researchers at the University of Maryland have developed Smart Underwear, the first wearable device designed specifically to measure human flatulence.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 14, 2026

But on the flip side, exceeding the recommended amounts of daily dietary fiber can cause several unpleasant GI symptoms, like bloating, abdominal pain, flatulence and constipation.

From Salon ● Jan. 17, 2026

The idea was to scare the beast, because that’s when it unleashed its diabolical flatulence.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

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