vellicate
English
Etymology
From Latin vellicatus, past participle of vellicare (“to twitch”).
Verb
vellicate (third-person singular simple present vellicates, present participle vellicating, simple past and past participle vellicated)
- To touch (a body part) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements.
- Roald Dahl, The Way Up to Heaven
- It was nothing much - just a tiny vellicating muscle in the corner of the left eye […]
- Roald Dahl, The Way Up to Heaven
- to irritate as if by a nip, pinch, or tear.
- Smooth surfaces can vellicate the teeth.
- To pinch.
- To cause to twitch.
- Arbuthnot
- Convulsions, arising from something vellicating a nerve in its extremity, are not very dangerous.
- Arbuthnot
Related terms
Translations
Italian
Verb
vellicate
Latin
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