Singultare

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A spontaneous, involuntary contraction of the diaphragm causing a rapid intake of breath followed by a closure of the vocal cords to produce a distinct sound
2. An abrupt action where the diaphragm involuntarily tightens, leading to a sound that interrupts normal breathing patterns and can occur unexpectedly
3. A reflexive spasm of the diaphragm resulting in a sudden intake of air, typically producing a characteristic noise often perceived as a hiccup

Etymology: In Latin, "singultus" named both the hiccup and the convulsive, gasping sob, because both come from the same involuntary spasm of the diaphragm. The verb "singultare" meant to hiccup or to sob, so a Roman speaker could describe a child's hiccups and a grieving person's breathless weeping with one word. Its deeper origin is uncertain. Ancient and medieval writers offered folk explanations, but modern dictionaries generally treat the Latin word as imitative of the sound, without a firm root. English took the Latin noun in its medical sense, "singult," which is now rare, while the everyday English word "hiccup" is a separate, later formation that probably imitates the sound directly.

Synonyms: hiccup, hiccough, sob, gasp