17 Body Parts You Didn’t Realize Have Names

What's that ridge above your lips called? Ever hear of an anatomical snuffbox? Learn about those and more.

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Anatomical snuffbox

Make a thumbs-up sign and a hollow will form under the base of your thumb between two tendons. It’s called the “anatomical snuffbox” because people placed their snuff there before snorting it in the 18th and 19th centuries. Don’t miss these other 13 bizarre facts about the human body.

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Popliteal fossa

More technically the “posterior knee,” and less technically the “kneepit,” this is the space behind your knee, where your leg bends.

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Acnestis

That “itch you can’t scratch” has a name. In any animal, the acnestis is an area of the back that can’t be reached for scratching. In humans, that’s between the shoulder blades.

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Philtrum

When the face of a human embryo comes together, the pieces meet in what becomes the cleft between the lips and the nose. Its medical term, philtrum, comes from the Greek word for “love charm.”

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Glabella

Also known as the mesophryon, this is the smooth space between your eyebrows, where a unibrow would be. Learn about the weird noises your body makes and what they mean.

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Rasceta

Who knew the creases in your wrist weren’t just called skinfolds but had a real name: rasceta?

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Antitragus

You might already know that the tragus is, the flap that sits in front of your ear canal which you press on when closing your ears. The antitragus is the cartilage projection across from that.

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Lingual frenulum

In general, fraenum or frenulum refer to small ligaments that restrict movement. The most common example is the lingual frenulum, which attaches your tongue to the bottom of your mouth. Make sure you know these parts of your body you should never touch.

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Suprasternal notch

Also known as the jugular notch, this is the depression under your neck between your two clavicles.

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Columella nasi

This is the name for the skin by the septum of your nose, which separates your nostrils. Check out these body parts you didn’t realize are as unique as your fingerprint.

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Niddick

In some regions of England, the nape of the neck is known as the niddick.

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Digitus secondus

You might call it your “pointer toe” or “long toe,” but the technical name is “digitus secondus.” The other three small toes are digitus pedis tertius (middle toe), digitus pedis quartus (ring toe), and digitus pedis maximus (pinky toe). The big toe is the hallux or digitus pedis primus. Find out which body parts you should never pick or pluck at.

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Pate

Not to be confused with the French paste pâté, this refers to the crown of the head. Find out which part of your body ages the fastest.

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Lunula

That crescent-shaped, whitish area at the base of your fingernail is called the lunula, which comes from the Latin word for “little moon.” A missing lunula is usually nothing to worry about, though its absence can be linked to anemia and malnutrition. Learn what other diseases your hands can predict.

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Canthus

This is the point of your eye in both the inner and outer corners where the top lid meets the lower one.

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Gnathion

The lowest point in the middle of your lower jaw has a name: gnathion. Find out the only two body parts that never stop growing.

Body-Parts-You-Didnt-Realize-Have-Names
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Gynecomastia

No doubt you usually use the less technical name: man boobs.

[Sources: buzzfeed.comMerriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionaries]

Marissa Laliberte
Marissa Laliberte-Simonian is a London-based associate editor with the global promotions team at WebMD’s Medscape.com and was previously a staff writer for Reader's Digest. Her work has also appeared in Business Insider, Parents magazine, CreakyJoints, and the Baltimore Sun. You can find her on Instagram @marissasimonian.