The story
- Latin · derived fromvellicatus
- English todayvellicate
From Latin vellicatus, past participle of vellicare (“to twitch”). Cognate with Spanish pellizcar (“to pinch”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
vellicate
Today it means: To touch (a body part) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements. Full definition →
Latin vellicatus