Booger
/ˈbʊɡər/noun
A piece of dried mucus from the nose.
Did you know?The word’s nasal sense is probably connected to older English words for frightening spirits, including “bogey” and “bogle,” though the exact path remains uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
Middle English, c. 1400
Middle English
bugge
“A frightening apparition or hobgoblin”
16th Century
Scots
bogle
“A ghost, specter, or frightening supernatural creature”
17th Century
English
bugbear
“A frightening imaginary being used to scare someone”
19th Century
English
bogey
“A ghost, demon, or personified source of fear”
19th Century
American English
booger
“A colloquial term for dried nasal mucus”