Singultus
[sing-GUHL-təs]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Latin, 18th century
1.
Hiccups.
Examples of Singultus in a sentence
"I get singultus every time I drink sparkling wine."
"We tried startling Elsie, but her singultus persisted until she held her breath for a full minute."
About Singultus
“Singultus” is a loanword from Latin, describing speech interrupted by sobs.
Did you Know?
Nearly all mammals experience singultus — the medical name for hiccups — but scientists aren’t quite sure of the cause. What we do know is that singultus is a two-stage event, beginning when the diaphragm contracts suddenly to create a gasp of air, which is immediately followed by a sudden closure of the opening between the vocal cords that allows breath in. Thus, hiccups sound a lot like sobs, as is suggested by the condition’s Latin name, singultus. Scientists believe hiccups don’t really serve a purpose anymore, but are the product of evolutionary history dating back to when our ancestors had gills that needed to be pulled closed in a hurry.
