singultus
\ sing-GUHL-tuhs \, noun;
1.Medicine/Medical . a hiccup.
Quotes:
He waited for her to calm down, then spoke. "Madam, the boy has singultus --hiccups in layman's terms.
-- Christopher Meades, "The Last Hiccup," 2012
Hiccups, more officially referred to as singultus , (from Latin--to catch your breath while sobbing) are repeated, spasmodic contractions of the diaphragm causing quick inhalation.
-- Lisa Sanders, M.D., "Think Like a Doctor: A Case of Hiccups," New York Times , September 12, 2011
Origin:
Singultus comes from the Latin word of the same spelling meaning "a sob" or "speech interrupted by sobs." It entered English in the mid-1700s.
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