Synesthesia

/ˌsɪnəsˈθiːziə/ noun

Definition

A neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sense triggers automatic experience in another — seeing colors when hearing music, tasting shapes, or hearing colors.

Etymology

From Greek 'syn' (together) + 'aisthesis' (sensation). About 4% of people experience this. Kandinsky, Nabokov, and Pharrell Williams are famous synesthetes.

Kelly Says

Imagine if the letter A was always red, or Tuesday tasted like chocolate, or music had SHAPES! For synesthetes, senses get beautifully tangled up. Nabokov saw letters in colors and it made his writing MAGICAL! 🎨🎵

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.