十个身体部位的冷僻词

philtrum 人中

 

This term refers to the vertical¹ groove² between the bottom of the nose and the upper lip. Interestingly, it comes from the Latin word philtrum which initially³ meant 'love-potion' or 'love-charm' and only started being used in English for the body part in the 17th century.

 

gowpen 碗状（两手靠拢形成）

 

This is the hollow that is formed when the two hands are placed together to create a bowl shape. It originates from the Old Norse gaupn.

 

hallux 大脚趾

 

It stems from Latin and began to be commonly used in the mid-19th century. On the opposite side (of the foot), the little toe is called the minimus.

 

purlicue “虎口”距（食指与拇指间的空隙）

 

Although a rare word, purlicue is a term for the space between the forefinger⁴ and thumb, originally used in the North of England. It's thought to derive⁵ from the Scots term pirlie, meaning 'curly' or 'twisted', and is also used as a synonym⁶ for curlicue: a term in calligraphy⁷ to describe curls in a person's writing.

 

fraenum 系带

 

A fraenum is a small ligament that restricts movement between body parts. The most obvious example is the fraenum which attaches the tongue to the bottom of the mouth, or the lip to the gum. It comes from the Latin fraenum which meant 'bridle⁸' - that same idea of restrained movement. It is also spelled frenum, and the more common term is frenulum.

 

uvula 小舌

 

The uvula is the fleshy extension that hangs at the back of the mouth above the opening of the throat. This is a body part that we share with some other primates⁹; for instance, baboons¹⁰ have small, underdeveloped uvulae. The uvula helps to close the nasopharynx during swallowing, so that no food can enter the nasal passage. It also causes the initiation¹¹ of the gag reflex if stimulated¹², and is also used to articulate a range of sounds in speech, such as the guttural R used in French.

 

gynaecomastia 男性乳房

 

The technical medical term for what some might refer to in everyday conversation as 'man boobs' or 'moobs' - or, rather, the condition that causes the swelling¹³ of a man's breast tissue, usually caused by hormone¹⁴ therapy or imbalance.

 

canthus 眼角

 

Stemming from Latin, and from the Greek word kanthos, this word refers to the point in the inner or outer corner of the eye where the upper and lower eyelids¹⁵ meet. It was first used in the mid-17th century.

 

gnathion 颔下点

 

This is the lowest point of the jawbone, so the most outward pointing part of the chin. It comes from the Greek word for 'jaw¹⁶' with the -ion suffix¹⁷ added to it, and only came into usage in the late 19th century.

 

glabella 印堂

 

The glabella is the smooth part of the forehead, between and directly above the eyebrows¹⁸. The term comes from the Latin glaber, meaning 'without hair, smooth, bald'. It is used medically to test for dehydration¹⁹, as the skin becomes wrinkled and shrivelled when dehydrated.

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