Crossword clues for formication
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Formication \For`mi*ca"tion\, n. [L. formicatio, fr. formicare
to creep like an ant, to feel as if ants were crawling on
one's self, fr. formica ant: cf. F. formication.] (Med.)
A sensation resembling that made by the creeping of ants on
the skin.
--Dunglison.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
crawling sensation as of ants on the skin, 1707, from Latin formicationem (nominative formicatio), noun of action from formicare "to crawl like ants," from formica "ant" (see Formica (n.2)).
Wiktionary
n. 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 fever, menopause, skin cancer, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/diabetic_neuropathy, or herpes zoster.
WordNet
n. hallucinated sensation that insects or snakes are crawling over the skin; a common side-effect of extensive use of cocaine or amphetamines
Wikipedia
Formication is the medical term for a sensation that exactly resembles that of small insects crawling on (or under) the skin. It is one specific form of a set of sensations known as paresthesias, which also include the more common prickling, tingling sensation known as "pins and needles". Formication is a well documented symptom, which has numerous possible causes. The word is derived from formica, the Latin word for ant.
Formication may sometimes be experienced as feelings of itchiness, tingling, pins and needles, burning, or even pain. When formication is perceived as itchiness, it may trigger the scratch reflex, and because of this, some people who are suffering from the sensation are at risk of causing skin damage through excessive scratching.
In some instances, static electricity can attract particulates to the skin and can also cause body hair to move, giving a sensation like insects crawling over the skin. However, in many cases no external trigger creates the sensation.
In rare cases, individuals become convinced that the sensation they are suffering is due to the presence of real insects on or under the skin. In these cases, patients have what is known as delusional parasitosis. They believe that their skin is inhabited by, or under attack by, small insects or similar parasites, despite repeated reassurances from physicians, pest control experts, and entomologists.
Usage examples of "formication".
She was already desperate: she had forgotten agony and formication and utter bereavement.
It bristled across the surface of her skin like formication, but did no damage.
In spite, however, of evidence called in her defence—as, for example, that of Dr Pitois, of Rennes, who was Helene's own doctor, and who said that ``the woman had a bizarre character, frequently complaining of stomach pains and formications in the head''—in spite of this doctor's hints of monomania in the accused, the jury, with every chance allowed them to find her irresponsible, still saw nothing in her extenuation.