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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.

The first records of the word horripilation come from the 1600s. It comes from the Late Latin ��ǰ������辱����پ�ō, “a bristling.” The first part comes from the Latin verb ��ǰ���ŧ����, “to stand on end,” “to tremble,” or “to bristle with fear.” The second part comes from the Latin pilus, meaning “hair” (the pilo- part of piloerection can be traced back to the same root). The word horror (and related words like horrific and horrifying) also derives from ��ǰ���ŧ���� and is based on hair standing on end due to fear.

Horripilation in response to being scared has led to the term hair-raising to describe a frightening experience. Biologically speaking, horripilation is an involuntary reaction called the pilomotor reflex. It involves the contraction of tiny muscles at the base of each hair follicle called arrector pili (a name that’s based on the same roots as piloerection). This contraction results in the hairs standing up. When there’s no hair there or the hairs are very small, this reaction appears as bumps on the skin. These bumps are said to resemble those on the skin of a goose that has had its feathers plucked, hence the name goose bumps.

What are some other forms related to horripilation?

• horripilate (verb)

What are some synonyms for horripilation?

• piloerection
• goose bumps
• goose pimples
• gooseflesh
• goose skin

What are some words that share a root or word element with horripilation?��

• horror
• pilomotor reflex
• pilose
• piloid

What are some words that often get used in discussing horripilation?

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• hair
• skin
• raised
• stand
• hair-raising
• fear
• cold
• reflex

Horripilation is a technical term. In everyday conversation, people usually just say goose bumps or similar terms.

Unaccountable horripilation … and I'm not cold or scared – so must be excited premonition…. of something to come…

— Jules James (@missyjulesbunny)

I am pleased to confirm my survival this evening after being aggressively blown hither and thither while flying back into London. The only side effect is my perfectly upright hair, as the extreme horripilation has left me looking like I'm attached to an electrostatic generator.

— Miserly Investor (@miserlyinvestor)

i hate the feeling of horripilation. but i just enjoy the cold weather so much that i don't curr

— jacqueline (@lametigers)

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Which of the following things can trigger horripilation?

A. fear
B. cold
C. excitement
D. all of the above