The rumbling, gurgling sound produced by the movement of fluid and gas in the stomach and intestines.

An onomatopoeic word derived from the Greek borborygmos, which itself imitates the sound it describes — a rare example of a scientific term being phonetically mimetic.

While often caused by hunger, borborygmi occur continuously during normal digestion and are only noticed when the surrounding environment is quiet.

Unusually loud or frequent borborygmus can indicate irritable bowel syndrome, gastroenteritis, or intestinal obstruction in clinical settings.

Hippocrates described borborygmus as a diagnostic sign, arguing that its pitch and rhythm could indicate the location and severity of gastrointestinal disease.