23 March 2009
Weird Science Words
Science Dictionary
Here are some weird science words. Be careful how you use them.
Auscultation—Listening. Especially listening to the sounds of the internal organs, as with a stethoscope.
Borborygmus, pl. borborygmi—Rumbling and gurgling noises from hunger. Stomach "growling".
Bromhidrosis—Body odor, B.O. From the Greek bromos, a stench, and hidros, sweat.
Cacophony—Jarring, discordant sound. Cacophonous: having a harsh, discordant sound. From the Greek kakophnos, kakos, bad+ phōnē, sound. Kakos goes back to one of the oldest words we still use, the Indo-European root kakka-, to defecate.
Cacodyl—The arsenic group (CH3)2As, or a poisonous oil (As2(CH3)4) with a strong garlicky odor. Same root as cacophony.
Emesis, pl. emeses—The act of coughing up
Eructation— burbing
Flatus—The gas that comprises
Formication—A sensation that feels like insects crawling on the skin, a type of paresthesia. From formica, Latin for "ant".
Googol—The number 10 raised to the power 100 (10100), written out as the numeral 1 followed by 100 zeros. Not to be confused with "Google", a trademark of Google Inc.
Mastication—chewing
Micturation—Potty
Osculant—Intermediate in characteristics between two similar or related taxonomic groups. Closely adhering or joined; embracing
Osculation—Kissing; a kiss
Oscitancy—the act of yawning
Pandiculation—The act of stretching and yawning at the same time.
Radicle—A small root, specifically the part of a plant embryo that develops into the root. Not to be confused with "radical", meaning the root (e.g. of a word), at the root, the mathematical root sign (√) or a highly reactive atom, molecule or person. Nor with "ridicule".
Sternutation—Sneezing
Stertor—The sound of snoring
Syzygy—Lots of meanings in different sciences (and in poetry, rhetoric etc.) generally having something to do with being paired, joined, aligned or something. From the Greek zugon, yoke
Wamble—To turn or roll (said of the stomach), an upset stomach, nausea