The Collaborative International Dictionary
goose bumps \goose bumps\ n. Same as gooseflesh.
gooseflesh \gooseflesh\ n. A peculiar roughness of the skin produced by cold or fear, in which the hair follicles become erect and form bumps on the skin; -- called also goose skin, goose pimples, goose bumps.
Syn: goose bumps, goose pimples, goose skin.
Wiktionary
n. (plural of goose bump English)
Wikipedia
Goose bumps, goose pimples or goose flesh are the bumps on a person's skin at the base of body hairs which may involuntarily develop when a person is cold or experiences strong emotions such as fear, euphoria or sexual arousal. The medical term for the effect is ''cutis anserina ''or horripilation.
The formation of goose bumps in humans under stress is considered by some to be a vestigial reflex; some believe its function in human ancestors was to raise the body's hair, making the ancestor appear larger and scaring off predators. The reflex of producing goose bumps is known as arasing, piloerection, or the pilomotor reflex. It occurs in many mammals besides humans; a prominent example is porcupines, which raise their quills when threatened, or sea otters when they encounter sharks or other predators.
Usage examples of "goose bumps".
It laughed a low cackle that sent goose bumps up her arms to the base of her neck.
Suddenly, there are goose bumps on Jack's forearms, and the back of his neck is tingling.
His bare flesh was chilled by the morning air, but the goose bumps smoothed away under the warmth of my touch.
I glanced at him, and saw goose bumps rise on the fair flesh where I'd touched him.
I could see the goose bumps ripple over his chest and shoulders, and lie shivered slightly as I drew a fingertip in a gentle circle round one nipple.
All that effort to be warm, and now she was icy goose bumps from head to toe!
His goose bumps intensified as she drew more deeply on saidar, the tendrils of smoke vanished from his cuff, and she gripped his arm above the wrist.
She stared at Camille for a second, a chill chasing goose bumps across her skin.
I put out an arm, trying not to notice the goose bumps that shivered up my skin as I made the offer.
The air-conditioned coolness was such a shocking contrast to the searing heat outside that goose bumps rose on her flesh, and she shivered.
His black eyes took her in from bonnet to heels in a glance that missed nothing, that old impudent unclothing glance which always gave her goose bumps.