frisson

[ free-sohn; French free-sawn ]

noun,plural fris·sons [free-sohnz; French free-sawn]. /friˈsõʊ̃z; French friˈsɔ̃/.
  1. a sudden, passing sensation of excitement; a shudder of emotion; thrill: The movie offers the viewer the occasional frisson of seeing a character in mortal danger.

Origin of frisson

1
First recorded in 1770–80; from French: “shiver, shudder,” Old French friçons (plural), from Late Latin frictiōnem, accusative of frictiō “shiver” (taken as derivative of frīgēre “to be cold”), from Latin: “massage, friction”; see also friction

Words Nearby frisson

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How to use frisson in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for frisson

frisson

/ French (frisɔ̃) /


noun
  1. a shudder or shiver; thrill

Origin of frisson

1
C18 (but in common use only from C20): literally: shiver

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