Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

formication

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: formi-ca-tion
IPA

18

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An abnormal skin sensation similar to that of insects crawling over or within the skin; a tactile hallucination involving such a sensation. A common side-effect of substance abuse, it can also be experienced with high fever, menopause, skin cancer, diabetic neuropathy, or herpes zoster.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Soon the formications and muscular debility returned, not alone, but accompanied with painful cramps and startlings in the feet and calves of the legs."

Etymology

Circa 1700, from Latin formīca (“ant”) + -tion.

Usage

Inflected Forms

formications (plural)

Phrases

formic acid

Frequently Paired Words

formic formic acid formicate

Synonyms

creevles creepy-crawlies

Questions

What does formication mean?: An abnormal skin sensation similar to that of insects crawling over or within the skin; a tactile hallucination involving such a sensation. A common side-effect of substance abuse, it can also be experienced with high fever, menopause, skin cancer, diabetic neuropathy, or herpes zoster.
Where does formication come from?: Circa 1700, from Latin formīca (“ant”) + -tion.

How to pronounce formication

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