goose bump

noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"goose-bump" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“goose bump” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Raised skin, usually caused by the involuntary erection of hairs on the neck or arms caused by cold, excitement, or fear.

Key facts for goose bump
PropertyValue
Headwordgoose bump
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “goose bump” sits in English frequency

goose bump falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

goose bump is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Raised skin, usually caused by the involuntary erection of hairs on the neck or arms caused by cold, excitement, or fear.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for goose bump, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From the resemblance of goose bumps to the bumps on the skin of a plucked goose. The correct English form is goose bump, spelled G-O-O-S-E- -B-U-M-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    Raised skin, usually caused by the involuntary erection of hairs on the neck or arms caused by cold, excitement, or fear.

Etymology

From the resemblance of goose bumps to the bumps on the skin of a plucked goose.

This word in other languages

escalofrío(Español)chair de poule(Français)Gänsehaut(Deutsch)arrepio(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "goose bump"?
"goose bump" is spelled G-O-O-S-E- -B-U-M-P.
What does "goose bump" mean?
As a noun, "goose bump" means: Raised skin, usually caused by the involuntary erection of hairs on the neck or arms caused by cold, excitement, or fear.
What is the origin of the word "goose bump"?
From the resemblance of goose bumps to the bumps on the skin of a plucked goose. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “goose bump”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is G-O-O-S-E- -B-U-M-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list