[ad. L. sternūtātiōnem, n. of action f. sternūtāre, frequentative f. sternuĕre to sneeze, cogn. w. Gr. πτάρνυσθαι (:—*pstrnu-) of the same meaning.] The action of sneezing; a sneeze. (Chiefly Med. and Path.; otherwise, in mod. use, affected or humorous.)
1545. Raynalde, Byrth Mankynde, 124. Infantes … troubled … with often sternutation and sneesynge.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., IV. ix. 199. The custome of saluting or blessing upon that motion … is … beleeved to derive its originall from a disease, wherein Sternutation proved mortall.
1713. Pope, Frenzy John Dennis, Misc. 1732, III. 6. I hope you have upon no Account promoted Sternutation by Hellebore.
1842. Borrow, Bible in Spain, xlvii. His words … were stifled … by a sudden sternutation which escaped him.
1872. Cohen, Dis. Throat, 106. The secretions are viscid and acrid, inducing spasms of sternutation.
† b. Loosely used for STERNUTATORY sb. Obs.
1547. Boorde, Brev. Health, cxix. (1557), 45. Let them … vse dyuers tymes sternutacions with gargaryces.
1684. trans. Bonet’s Merc. Compit., X. 349. If the Disease [Lethargy] continue,… the use of Sternutations is very proper.
