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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!

#1

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The way it smells after it rains is called petrichor.

Merriam-Webster , Maria Eklind Report

#3

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name Finding it difficult to get out of bed in the morning is called dysania.

Healthline , megan ann Report

#4

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The phenomenon of repeating a word and temporarily losing its meaning is called semantic satiation.

Wikipedia , zorilla Report

#5

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name That sick feeling you get after eating or drinking too much is called crapulence.

Merriam-Webster , águahotels Report

#6

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name When you combine a question mark with an exclamation mark (‽), it is referred to as an interrobang.

Merriam-Webster , Jeremy Keith Report

#7

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name A series of typographical symbols, such as $#!, used in text as a replacement for profanity is called a grawlix.

Merriam Webster , Threeboy Report

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#8

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The action of throwing something or someone out of a window is called defenestration.

Merriam-Webster , Paul!!! Report

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#9

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The individual parts of raspberries and blackberries are called drupelets.

Merriam-Webster , Su Yin Khoo Report

#10

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The plastic or metallic coating at the end of your shoelaces is called an aglet.

Merriam-Webster , Eric T Report

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glowworm2
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Phineas and Ferb has an entire episode devoted to teaching this word.

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#11

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name A path that is created in the grass by people walking on it because it is the shortest way is called desire line.

Merriam-Webster , Andrew Report

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Joran Quinten
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Dutch is an "Elephants trail" for the trails that elephans carve out in jungles

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#12

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The tingling sensation you get when your foot's asleep is called paresthesia.

Merriam-Webster , Michael Coghlan Report

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Arctic Fox Lover
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I will still refer to it as, "the blood in my feet was replaced by sparkling wine" xD

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#13

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The space between your eyebrows is called glabella.

Merriam-Webster , Leandro Scarano Report

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Earl Grey
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not exactly. It’s the area between the eyebrow ridges and above the nose where the underlying bone is slightly depressed.

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#14

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name Illegible handwriting is called griffonage.

Merriam-Webster , Christina Hendricks Report

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Tuna Fish
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My students are happy I don't comment on their essays w/my handwriting. #ds106 #penatweet

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#15

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name A word that means one thing forward and another backward is called semordnilap, for example, desserts and stressed.

Wikipedia , Jenny Huey Report

#16

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name Your little toe or finger is called digitus minimus.

Wikipedia , Wesley Fryer Report

#17

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The sheen of a light that you see when you close your eyes is called phosphenes.

Merriam-Webster , wim goedhart Report

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Gossameringue
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Phosphenes are caused by stimulation of your retina. No actual light is needed.

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#18

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The metal thing used to measure your feet at the shoe store is called Brannock device.

Brannock , Phillip Pessar Report

#19

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The day before yesterday is called ereyesterday.

Wikipedia , kenkwsiu Report

#20

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name A cup holder for hot drinks is called zarf.

Vocabulary , Angela CoffeeRank Report

#21

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The 'na na na' and 'la la la', which don't really have any meaning in the lyrics of any song, are called vocables.

Cambridge Dictionary , Francesco Report

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#23

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The indent on the bottom of a wine bottle is called a punt.

Merriam-Webster , Ruth Hartnup Report

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Mumchkin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Somehow I knew this I just wouldn't have been able to tell you it before seeing it here. I feel like maybe I read it in a book or it was in a crossword.

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#24

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name 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."

Your Dictionary , Hans Splinter Report

#25

The paragraph mark (¶) is called a pilcrow.

Merriam-Webster Report

#26

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The cry of a newborn or small child is called a vagitus.

Collins , Upsilon Andromedae Report

#27

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name When your stomach rumbles, that's a wamble.

Merriam-Webster , Alena Getman Report

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iblowsheep
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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#28

A word or a phrase that is used mistakenly but in a plausible way for another word or phrase is called eggcorn.

Merriam-Webster Report

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#29

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name A person who has the same name as you and is found by searching it on Google is called a Googlegänger.

Macmillan Dictionary , ethermoon Report

#30

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The wired cage that holds the cork on a bottle of champagne is called an agraffe.

Wein.plus , Greger Ravik Report

#31

The chart you look at while taking an eye exam is called the Snellen chart.

Wikipedia Report

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Mary Rose Kent
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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...

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#32

A group of crows is called a murder.

Merriam-Webster Report

#33

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The crisp rustle of silk or a similar material that has been treated with dilute acid is called scroop.

Merriam-Webster , Paula Satijn Report

#34

The smalls strips of wood, plastic or metal in between separate panes of glass on a window are called muntins.

Merriam-Webster Report

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#35

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The tiny plastic thing placed in the middle of a pizza box is called a pizza saver.

Wikipedia , stu_spivack Report

#36

A person who never laughs is called agelast.

Merriam-Webster Report

#37

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The space between your nostrils is called columella nasi.

Biology Online , Dan Zen Report

#38

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name The armhole in clothes, where the sleeves are sewn, is called armscye.

Merriam-Webster , John Benson Report

#39

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name A word or a phrase that reads the same way forward as it does backward is called a palindrome, for exmple, radar, level, madam.

Merriam-Webster , 270862 Report

#40

40 Interesting Words For Things You Probably Never Knew Had A Name A prong or sharp point like of a fork or antler is called tine.

Cambridge Dictionary , waferboard Report