Frisson
Etymology
Borrowed from French “frisson” (a shiver), which descends from Late Latin “frictionem,” a rubbing, though its sense of trembling was reshaped by association with Latin “frigere,” to be cold. The word thus fuses two ideas — friction and chill — into the single physical thrill it names.
noun · /free-SOHN/
A sudden, brief shiver of excitement, thrill, or emotion.
What it names
The involuntary tingle down the spine at a swell of music, a charged glance, or a flash of fear.
Example
A frisson ran through the audience as the final chord hung, unresolved, in the dark hall.
Related idea
A general thrill can build and last; a frisson is momentary and physical, the single shiver that seizes the body for a second and is gone.