rhinotillexomania

/ˌɹaɪnəʊtɪˌlɛksəˈmeɪniə//ˌɹaɪnəʊtɪˌlɛksəˈmeɪnjə/

noun

Compulsive nose-picking; the insertion of a finger into one's nose.

OriginAncient Greek τίλλω →
Scrabble 29
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Meanings

nounrhinotillexomania (uncountable)
  1. uncountablehuman sciencesCompulsive nose-picking; the insertion of a finger into one's nose.

    [Anna:] Obsessive nose picking is called rhinotillexomania.

    2017, James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein, Pottymouth and Stoopid, page 95

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekτίλλω“to pluck or pull”
  2. Englishrhinotillexomania

From rhino- (“nose, nasal”) + Latin tillexis (“habit of plucking”, see below) + -o- + -mania (“obsession”). The tillexis stem is seemingly a New Latin borrowing from Ancient Greek τίλλω (tíllō, “to pluck or pull”). There is a divergence regarding the exo affix. It is suggested it may derive from ἔξω (éxō, “out”) or έξη (éxē, “habit”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 強制性挖鼻綜合症 /强制性挖鼻综合症
  • 強制性挖鼻綜合症 /强制性挖鼻综合症 (qiángzhìxìng wābí zōnghézhèng)compulsive nose-picking
Finnish nenänkaivuu
  • nenänkaivuucompulsive nose-picking
French décrottage de nez, rhinotillexomanie
  • décrottage de nezcompulsive nose-picking
  • rhinotillexomaniecompulsive nose-picking
Polish obsesyjne dłubanie w nosie
  • obsesyjne dłubanie w nosiecompulsive nose-picking
Cite this entry
APA

rhinotillexomania. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhinotillexomania

MLA

“rhinotillexomania.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhinotillexomania. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rhinotillexomania,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhinotillexomania.

Source: rhinotillexomania on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.