In our everyday lives, we use just a small part of our languages' vocabularies. This is understandable as words go out of use, and we don't use scientific names for things or words that are used by a specific group of people, like professional terminology. Sometimes we don't even realize that some things have names at all or that they could have a specific name because we're used to referring to that thing by describing it.
Not a lot of us spend our time reading through dictionaries, but if we did, we could find some really interesting words, like how would you call the day after tomorrow or the struggle to get out of bed in the morning. Bored Panda gathered a list of things that you may not have known had a name in English, so enjoy it, as broadening your vocabulary is always fun. Don't forget to upvote the words that you liked the most and comment down below how many of these you already knew!
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Petrichor
The way it smells after it rains is called petrichor.
Dysania
Finding it difficult to get out of bed in the morning is called dysania.
Semantic Satiation
The phenomenon of repeating a word and temporarily losing its meaning is called semantic satiation.
Crapulence
That sick feeling you get after eating or drinking too much is called crapulence.
Interrobang
When you combine a question mark with an exclamation mark (‽), it is referred to as an interrobang.
Grawlix
A series of typographical symbols, such as $#!, used in text as a replacement for profanity is called a grawlix.
Defenestration
The action of throwing something or someone out of a window is called defenestration.
Drupelets
The individual parts of raspberries and blackberries are called drupelets.
Aglet
The plastic or metallic coating at the end of your shoelaces is called an aglet.
Desire Line
A path that is created in the grass by people walking on it because it is the shortest way is called desire line.
In Dutch is an "Elephants trail" for the trails that elephans carve out in jungles
Paresthesia
The tingling sensation you get when your foot's asleep is called paresthesia.
I will still refer to it as, "the blood in my feet was replaced by sparkling wine" xD
Glabella
The space between your eyebrows is called glabella.
Semordnilap
A word that means one thing forward and another backward is called semordnilap, for example, desserts and stressed.
Digitus Minimus
Your little toe or finger is called digitus minimus.
Phosphenes
The sheen of a light that you see when you close your eyes is called phosphenes.
Phosphenes are caused by stimulation of your retina. No actual light is needed.
Brannock Device
The metal thing used to measure your feet at the shoe store is called Brannock device.
Ereyesterday
The day before yesterday is called ereyesterday.
Vocables
The 'na na na' and 'la la la', which don't really have any meaning in the lyrics of any song, are called vocables.
Like in the song E=pro, where the chorus is, "Na na, nana na na na naaaa"
Tittle
The dot over an "i" or a "j" is called tittle.
Aphthong
A letter or a combination of letters used in spelling the word but not pronounced is called an aphthong like "gh" in "knight" or in "fight."
Vagitus
The cry of a newborn or small child is called a vagitus.
Wamble
When your stomach rumbles, that's a wamble.
bor·bo·ryg·mus | ˌbôrbəˈriɡməs | noun (plural borborygmi | -mī | ) technical a rumbling or gurgling noise made by the movement of fluid and gas in the intestines.
Eggcorn
A word or a phrase that is used mistakenly but in a plausible way for another word or phrase is called eggcorn.
Googlegänger
A person who has the same name as you and is found by searching it on Google is called a Googlegänger.
Agraffe
The wired cage that holds the cork on a bottle of champagne is called an agraffe.
Snellen Chart
The chart you look at while taking an eye exam is called the Snellen chart.
I’m sure it’s named after some Snellen, but my brain wants to turn that into Smellen, which would be a word having scent-related overtones...
Scroop
The crisp rustle of silk or a similar material that has been treated with dilute acid is called scroop.
Muntins
The smalls strips of wood, plastic or metal in between separate panes of glass on a window are called muntins.
Pizza Saver
The tiny plastic thing placed in the middle of a pizza box is called a pizza saver.
Columella Nasi
The space between your nostrils is called columella nasi.
Armscye
The armhole in clothes, where the sleeves are sewn, is called armscye.
Palindrome
A word or a phrase that reads the same way forward as it does backward is called a palindrome, for exmple, radar, level, madam.
Tine
A prong or sharp point like of a fork or antler is called tine.
Wonderful article! I wish my brain could retain all of what I just read 😅
The word for when you read an article but can’t retain all of what you just read is called undolegimus.
Hence stresses?
We will make a test in a few weeks "Hey pandas what did you learn from our posts"😅😅
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I don't know how to add to this but the pea sized bit of toothpaste you add to the brush is called a Nurdle
Also a term in the game of cricket.
Actually, it looks like the more common definition is: Nurdles are tiny spheres of plastic. Microplastics.
Fun Fact: Once you have your adult teeth, there is no need to use toothpaste (unless you just like the taste or something) since it was invented in a time when toothbrushes were much more abrasive and it kept your gums from being abraded by them. I haven’t used toothpaste since I read that somewhere more than 50 years ago and have I find I do a more thorough job brushing because I’m not relying on toothpaste to do that.
Tootpaste actually damages adult teeth when used on a regular basis. And everytime I mention this anywhere I get downvoted to hell by people who refuse to actually learn something
thank you for this info, I started brushing my teeth with a lot more tooth paste and started to have problems.
I know all words are made up to some extent, but a lot of these are not actually official words.
like the "zarf"
Wonderful article! I wish my brain could retain all of what I just read 😅
The word for when you read an article but can’t retain all of what you just read is called undolegimus.
Hence stresses?
We will make a test in a few weeks "Hey pandas what did you learn from our posts"😅😅
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
If You Are On A Lookout For A Way To Earn Your First Dollar Online You Can Stop Searching! Start Now With This Award Winning Program And Receive Your First Paycheck Within A Week! Find out more here >>> 𝐖𝐰𝐰.𝐉𝐨𝐛𝟔𝟐.𝐂𝐨𝐦
I don't know how to add to this but the pea sized bit of toothpaste you add to the brush is called a Nurdle
Also a term in the game of cricket.
Actually, it looks like the more common definition is: Nurdles are tiny spheres of plastic. Microplastics.
Fun Fact: Once you have your adult teeth, there is no need to use toothpaste (unless you just like the taste or something) since it was invented in a time when toothbrushes were much more abrasive and it kept your gums from being abraded by them. I haven’t used toothpaste since I read that somewhere more than 50 years ago and have I find I do a more thorough job brushing because I’m not relying on toothpaste to do that.
Tootpaste actually damages adult teeth when used on a regular basis. And everytime I mention this anywhere I get downvoted to hell by people who refuse to actually learn something
thank you for this info, I started brushing my teeth with a lot more tooth paste and started to have problems.
I know all words are made up to some extent, but a lot of these are not actually official words.
like the "zarf"