They say real life is stranger than fiction, and what’s weirder than the human body? We’ve talked before about fancy words for human conditions (“rhinorrhea” is a runny nose) and sensations (“paraesthesia” is the “pins and needles” feeling of a limb falling asleep), but when the human body contains more than 200 bones and over 62,000 miles of blood vessels, there’s always going to be more to discuss. Study up for this advanced anatomy vocabulary lesson.
Pinna
The pinna is the cartilaginous portion of the external ear — basically, everything seen on the ear besides the fleshy earlobe. The word comes from the Latin pinna, meaning “feather” or “wing,” which is to say that it can also refer to other projecting body parts on mammals, such as a feather, wing, or fin. The human pinna is also called the “auricle.”
Thrapple
“Thrapple” is another word for the throat, or windpipe. It comes from Scottish, originally spelled thropple, and is believed to derive from the Middle English “throppill.” The OED states that it may actually be a contraction of “throat-boll,” which is another way to refer to the Adam’s apple. Turning away from anatomy, “thrapple” can also be used as a verb, meaning “to throttle” — in other words, to cut off air to the windpipe.
Supercilium
The supercilium is the general region of the eyebrows. It comes directly from the Latin word for “eyebrow,” but it also translates to “ridge” or “pride.” The last usage is present in the English adjective “supercilious,” which means “coolly and patronizingly haughty,” a description you might use when someone raises an eyebrow at you.
Gowpen
“Gowpen” refers to the grasp of a hand, the fist, or the shape made when one places their hands together to form a bowl. In this usage, it can also mean a double handful. It’s a Scottish word, but it borrows from Scandinavian — see the Old Norse gaupn, or the Middle High German goufen.
Hallux
The hallux is the innermost digit of a hind or lower limb, such as the big toe. The word first appeared in English in 1831, from the Modern Latin hallux, which evolved from the Latin Latin allex, meaning “great toe.”
Philtrum
The philtrum is the vertical groove on the median line of the upper lip — in other words, the divot that runs from the nose to the lip. “Philtrum” appeared in English in 1703 from the Greek philtron, meaning “love charm.” The Greeks considered the spot to be one of the body’s most erogenous areas, hence the love-charmed name.
Proboscis
“Proboscis” refers to the human nose, but especially when it’s prominent (think “probe”). It’s also used in reference to animal anatomy, such as an elephant’s trunk or any other type of long, flexible snout. With “proboscis” coming from Greek roots, the OED lists its usage in reference to humans as “humorous,” so perhaps exercise caution with “proboscis,” lest you insult anyone’s schnoz. The earliest usage in this context is traced to 1631: “No flattery for't: No lick-foote, paine of loosing your proboscis.”
Oxter
“Oxter” is another way of saying “armpit,” or to describe the hollow beneath the junction of the arm and the shoulder. In Old English, ōxta was used to describe carrying something in the armpit. Spot “oxter” in James Joyce’s Ulysses (1922): “In his buttonhole is an immense dahlia. He twirls in reversed directions in a clouded cane, then wedges it tight in his oxter.”
Kibe
A kibe is simply a sore heel, or perhaps more specifically, the “ulcerated chilblains (cracked and swollen sores caused by exposure to cold) especially on your heel.” But it can also just refer to a heel. It comes from Middle English, but the exact etymology is murky. Look for it in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, when the prince says to Horatio: “the age is grown so picked that the toe / of the peasant comes so near the heel of the courtier he galls / his kibe.”
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