Word of the Day

: November 13, 2012

eructation

noun ih-ruk-TAY-shun

What It Means

: an act or instance of belching

eructation in Context

Excessive eructation is a common side-effect of that particular medication.

"Granted, American political campaigns since 1789 have often been vicious, with presidential candidates accused (usually falsely) of sins ranging from bigamy, bribery and drunkenness to atheism, foreign birth or even habitual eructation." - From a column by Ed Corson in The Macon Telegraph (Georgia), October 15, 2010

Did You Know?

"Eructation" is simply a fancier, and some might argue a more decorous, word for "belch." "Eructation" was borrowed from Latin in the 15th century; the verb "eruct," meaning "to belch," followed in the late 16th century. Both have their source in the Latin verb "eructare," which is the frequentative form of "erugere," meaning "to belch or disgorge." (A frequentative form is one that denotes a repeated or recurrent action or state.) "Eructare" shares an ancestor with Greek word "ereugesthai" as well as Old English "rocettan," both of which also mean "to belch."