ScienceSeptember 3, 2026

ticklishness

TIK-lish-nes

Definition

The state, quality, or condition of being sensitive to tickling.

Etymology

Derived from the Middle English 'tiklen' (to touch lightly) with the suffix '-ish' (having the quality of) and '-ness' (forming a state or condition). It evolved to describe the involuntary reflex triggered by light, teasing touch.

In the news

The article uses this term to describe the physical sensation mapped by participants, referring specifically to the intense, laughter-inducing reaction in certain body areas.

Research suggests how ticklish a body region is tracks how rarely it gets touched — in a survey of 448 Chinese-, Dutch- and Greek-speaking volunteers the hotspots were the armpits, the sides of the trunk and the soles of the feet, while the palms were among

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