Horripilation

Pronunciation: /ˌhɔːrɪpɪˈleɪʃən/

Definitions of horripilation

noun the bristling of the body hair or feathers as a response to cold, fear, or other strong emotions

Example Sentences

A1 I got horripilation when I heard a loud noise.

A2 The scary movie gave me horripilation.

B1 The sudden drop in temperature caused horripilation on my arms.

B2 The eerie music sent shivers down my spine, causing horripilation.

C1 The intense emotions of the performance caused horripilation throughout the audience.

C2 The profound words of the speech brought about horripilation in everyone present.

Examples of horripilation in a Sentence

formal The medical term for horripilation is piloerection, which is the involuntary contraction of small muscles at the base of hair follicles.

informal I get horripilation whenever I watch a scary movie.

slang That horror movie gave me the chills and full-on horripilation.

figurative The emotional speech by the president caused a wave of horripilation among the audience.

Grammatical Forms of horripilation

• past tense: horripilated
• plural: horripilations
• comparative: more horripilated
• superlative: most horripilated
• present tense: horripilates
• future tense: will horripilate
• perfect tense: has/have horripilated
• continuous tense: is/are horripilating
• singular: horripilation
• positive degree: horripilatory
• infinitive: to horripilate
• gerund: horripilating
• participle: horripilating

Origin and Evolution of horripilation

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'horripilation' has its origins in Latin, derived from the word 'horripilātiōnem' which means 'the act of bristling or becoming rough.'

Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe the physical reaction of hair standing on end due to fear or excitement, the word 'horripilation' has evolved to also refer to a similar reaction caused by cold or strong emotions.