# Is there a medical term for a "booger"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 29, 2003, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598 "2003-07-29T06:23:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/1 "2003-07-29T06:23:47Z")
I can think of several combinations of terms relating mucous, phlegm, and “deposits” or other such accumulations, but what does the medical community use? ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/2 "2003-07-29T06:29:19Z")
“Sputum,” I think. At least, the cups that collect the junk from lungs are called sputum cups. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/3 "2003-07-29T06:45:51Z")
I’ve never picked a “booger” from my lung before. They’ve always come from my nose. BTW, I was talking about " mucous collections surrounding foreign particulate". That sounds just as stupid as the OP, but I still wonder, is there a medical term for what most of us call a “booger”? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/4 "2003-07-29T06:51:04Z")
Nasal discharge? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/5 "2003-07-29T07:23:23Z")
I think most would say “dried mucus” but I wouldn’t put it past them to say “dried mucus encrustations” or “dehydrated glairy mucus” or “dried pituita” or something really bizarre like that. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/6 "2003-07-29T12:30:37Z")
Mucus cluster. Magic nose goblins. Nasal crusts. ---
**Author:** ![Achilles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dc4da7/32.png) [@Achilles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achilles)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/7 "2003-07-29T12:36:16Z")
The latin is “Snotus Crustius” or “Snotus Gooius”, depending on the consistency. Achilles (MB. BAO. BCh.) yeah right… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Green\_Feather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@The\_Green\_Feather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Green_Feather)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/8 "2003-07-29T13:48:44Z")
‘Booger’ _is_ a medical term. What was the question? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/9 "2003-07-29T14:37:23Z")
In **The Flying Sorcerors** , Larry Niven and Davis Gerrold called it a “nasal dropping”. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/10 "2003-07-29T14:37:23Z")
Nasal ore ? ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/11 "2003-07-29T14:47:43Z")
Nose Gems. Nostril Nuggets. Lil’ Cherub Chewables. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/12 "2003-07-29T14:53:09Z")
Boogerus Nostrilous. Or from the old English, Nostril McBooger. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/13 "2003-07-29T15:07:45Z")
I’ve heard it used in more than one poker playing setting, but a two-pair hand of two’s and three’s (deuces and treys) is referred to as “nits and boogers.” I guess the treys are boogers. A tray of boogers anyone? Does anybody keep a booger ball? Bronzed? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/14 "2003-07-29T15:32:54Z")
From Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary’s definition of _Booger_: > [@](#): > > a piece of dried nasal mucus ---
**Author:** ![KnK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/edb3f5/32.png) [@KnK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KnK)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/15 "2003-07-29T15:53:59Z")
Slight hijack… A high school biology teacher once told us that boogers contained a lot of protein and he proceeded to eat his in class!! Any truth to his claim??? KnK ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/16 "2003-07-29T16:07:56Z")
After I had sinus surgery, I had several follow up visits with the ENT specialist who had the unenviable task of looking up my nose. He said a few times about how things looked great, just a few “crusts.” When I asked what he meant by crust, he clarified with “booger.” So there you go. A synonym straight from the doc’s mouth. (Better than his nose, I suppose.) ---
**Author:** ![TeaRoses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@TeaRoses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaRoses)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/17 "2003-07-29T16:11:54Z")
> [@](#): > > Nostril McBooger Band Name. ---
**Author:** ![Brad\_Amundsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dbc845/32.png) [@Brad\_Amundsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brad_Amundsen)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/18 "2003-07-30T19:13:51Z")
nose oyster greeny hanger ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/19 "2003-07-30T19:27:13Z")
My sputum cup runneth over. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2003, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598/20 "2003-07-30T20:07:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KnK \* > \*\*Slight hijack… > > A high school biology teacher once told us that boogers contained a lot of protein and he proceeded to eat his in class!! \*\* :eek: I hope that was after lunch. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-medical-term-for-a-booger/191598.md?page=2)