Plural of flatus; instances of gas released from the stomach or intestines.
From Latin 'flatus' meaning 'a blowing' or 'wind,' derived from 'flare' (to blow). The term entered English medical vocabulary in the 1600s to describe intestinal gas in a clinical context.
Doctors use this Latin-derived word to sound professional when discussing something everyone does but finds embarrassing—it's basically the fancy way to avoid saying 'farts' in a hospital.
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