VELLICATE

pinch, vellicate

(verb) irritate as if by a nip, pinch, or tear; “smooth surfaces can vellicate the teeth”; “the pain is as if sharp points pinch your back”

tickle, titillate, vellicate

(verb) touch (a body part) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Verb

vellicate (third-person singular simple present vellicates, present participle vellicating, simple past and past participle vellicated)

To touch (a body part) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements.

to irritate as if by a nip, pinch, or tear.

To pinch.

To cause to twitch.

Anagrams

• allective

Source: Wiktionary

Vel"li*cate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vellicated; p. pr. & vb. n. Vellicating.] Etym: [L. vellicatus, p. p. of vellicare to twitch, fr. vellere to pluck, pull.]

Definition: To twitch; to cause to twitch convulsively. Convulsions, arising from something vellicating a nerve in its extremity, are not very dangerous. Arbuthnot.

Vel"li*cate, v. i.

Definition: To move spasmodically; to twitch; as, a nerve vellicates.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition