Word of the Day

Thursday, July 22, 2004

eructation

\ih-ruhk-TAY-shuhn\ , noun;

The act of belching; a belch.

Quotes:

Ignatius belched, the gassy eructations echoing between the walls of the alley.

-- John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces

The explosion, at this distance, sounds like a faint, feeble eructation.

-- Peter Conrad, "Bangs to whimpers", The Observer, March 7, 2004

Origin:

Eructation comes from Latin eructatio, from eructare, from e-, "out" + ructare, "to belch."