horripilation

[haw-rip-uh-ley-shuhn, ho-]

noun

1. a bristling of the hair on the skin from cold, fear, etc.; goose bumps.

horripilation

/ hɒˌrɪpɪˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. a technical name for goose flesh

2. the erection of any short bodily hairs

Word History and Origins

Origin of horripilation¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from Late Latin horripilātiōn- (stem of horripilātiō ); horripilate, -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of horripilation¹

C17: from Late Latin horripilātiō a bristling, from Latin horrēre to stand on end + pilus hair

Example Sentences

I can’t have been the only person who spent the evening in a pretty much constant state of horripilation.

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Call it serendipity or synchronicity, issue your panegyrics, soak up the horripilation and admire the pulchritudinous: This was meant to be.

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Some of the sufferers have an external horripilation, transient shiverings are felt in the front and hind quarters and at the junction of the limbs with the trunk.

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But, suddenly, through all the horripilation there seemed to shine a light.

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The whole company were in a state of horripilation.

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Related Words

• goose flesh 
• goose pimples 
• gooseflesh 

When To Use

What does horripilation mean?

Horripilation is a technical term for what happens when your hair stands up, such as when you’re cold, scared, or excited.We popularly call this goose bumps (or goose pimples, gooseflesh, or goose skin). Other technical names for it are piloerection and cutis anserina.Horripilation doesn’t only happen in humans. When some animals get startled or threatened, their fur raises in response. (When the fur becomes raised in this way on the neck, such as on a dog or cat, we say they’ve raised their hackles.)The same thing happens in humans, and is usually most noticeable in places where we don’t have much hair or the hair is very fine, such as the arms and neck.The verb horripilate means to trigger horripilation—to give someone goose bumps, as in Horror movies have the power to horripilate the viewer. It can also mean to experience horripilation—to get goose bumps.Example: A well-known example of horripilation in animals is the raising of a porcupine’s quills.