Tiny raised bumps on the skin caused by cold, fear, or strong emotion; also called goosebumps.
Compound of 'goose' and 'flesh.' The name comes from the resemblance of the bumpy skin to the plucked skin of a goose—the distinctive texture visible on a plucked bird.
Gooseflesh is caused by tiny muscles at the base of hair follicles contracting, a reflex inherited from our furry ancestors to make themselves look bigger when threatened—we've kept the reaction even though we've lost most of our body hair!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.