noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌbɔːbəˈɹɪɡm̩/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈbɔːbəɹɪm/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˌbɔɹbəˈɹiɡm̩/
General-American:/ˈbɔɹbəɹim/
1
noun
Meaning 1
A gurgling or rumbling noise produced by gas in the bowels.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
Topics: medicine, physiology, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: borborygmus
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A gurgling or rumbling.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Borrowed from French borborygme, ultimately from Ancient Greek βορβορυγμός (borborugmós, “(onomatopoeic) borborygmus”), from βορβορύζω (borborúzō, “to experience borborygmus”).