Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

borborygmus

noun bor·bo·ryg·mus \ ˌbȯr-bə-ˈrig-məs \

Definition of borborygmus

plural borborygmi play \-ˌmī\
: intestinal rumbling caused by moving gas

borborygmus was our Word of the Day on 06/24/2012. Hear the podcast!

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Get Word of the Day daily email, delivered to your inbox!

Did You Know?

Unless you're a gastroenterologist, chances are you never knew there was a name for those loud gurglings your belly sometimes makes. And if in looking at the word, you thought it was just some crazy coinage invented by someone who thought the word matched the rumbling sound it represented, you'd be right, in a way. We picked it up from New Latin, but it traces to the Greek verb borboryzein, which means "to rumble." It is believed that the Greek verb was coined to imitate the digestive noises made by a stomach. "Borborygmus" has been part of English for at least 250 years; its earliest known use dates from around 1724.

Origin and Etymology of borborygmus

New Latin, from Greek borborygmos, from borboryzein to rumble

Medical Dictionary

borborygmus

noun bor·bo·ryg·mus \ ˌbȯr-bə-ˈrig-məs \

medical Definition of borborygmus

plural borborygmi play \-ˌmī\
: a rumbling sound made by the movement of gas in the intestine
—

borborygmic

play \-mik\ adjective

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up borborygmus? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

thwart

play

to oppose successfully

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. hogwash 'nonsense, balderdash'

  2. probity 'adherence to the highest principles and ideals'

  3. sequacious 'intellectually servile'

  4. inadmissible 'not capable of being allowed'

  5. oligarch, pejorative 'a member a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

borborygmus

Test Your Vocabulary

Difficult Spelling Words Quiz

  • alphabet-pasta-spelling-help
  • Which is the correct spelling?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games