What does borborygmus mean?
Borborygmus is the technical term for a rumbling or gurgling noise produced by the movement of gas and fluid through the intestines — what most people call a stomach growl. The word comes from the Greek 'borboryzein,' meaning to rumble, and entered English in the early seventeenth century via New Latin. It is almost always used as a noun, with the plural 'borborygmi.' Though primarily a clinical term found in medical literature, where doctors note bowel sounds during physical examination, it also enjoys a playful life in general prose precisely because it sounds like the noise it describes: it is an example of onomatopoeia borrowed into scholarly vocabulary. Writers reach for it when they want a comic or impressively learned alternative to 'stomach rumble.' A related term, borborygmia, denotes the condition of excessive such noises. Borborygmus carries no negative judgment; it describes an ordinary physiological event, though it can signal hunger, digestion, or, when abnormal, certain gastrointestinal conditions.
nounA rumbling or gurgling noise made by the movement of gas and fluid through the intestines; a stomach rumble.
- A rumbling or gurgling noise produced by the movement of gas and fluid through the intestines.
"A loud borborygmus from the empty auditorium seat betrayed the fact that he had skipped lunch."
"Her borborygmus interrupted the silence of the seminar room so loudly that the lecturer paused mid-sentence."
"The physician noted mild borborygmi during the abdominal examination, a normal sign of healthy digestion."
The plural follows the Latinized Greek second-declension pattern (-us → -i) and is standard in medical usage.
"The stethoscope revealed normal borborygmi throughout all four quadrants of the abdomen."
Doctors have used this ancient Greek onomatopoeic word for centuries to describe your stomach's growl — and its plural, 'borborygmi,' may be the most delightful plural in medicine.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of borborygmus
Borborygmus derives ultimately from the Ancient Greek verb 'borboryzein' (βορβορυζεῖν), meaning 'to rumble,' which was itself onomatopoeic — imitating the very sound it names. It passed into New Latin as 'borborygmus' before entering English in the early seventeenth century, retaining both its medical sense and its comic phonetic quality. Related forms include 'borborygmia' and 'borborygmic,' all sharing the same Greek root.
Related word forms
How borborygmus is actually used
Borborygmus is a formal, clinical term — the everyday word for the phenomenon is simply 'stomach growl' or 'rumbling tummy.' It appears chiefly in medical writing and in humorous or deliberately erudite prose. The plural 'borborygmi' follows the Greek/Latin-style declension. Because it is onomatopoeic in origin, it is often cited as one of English's most amusing medical words.
Easily confused with borborygmus
Flatulence refers to intestinal gas itself (or its passing), whereas borborygmus is specifically the audible rumbling sound produced as that gas moves through the gut.