Palper

Palper is a term that has no single, widely recognized definition in English. In contemporary usage, it is not common; the standard clinical term for examining by touch is palpation, with the verb palpate. Palper may appear in historical texts or in multilingual contexts as a form derived from the Latin palpare "to touch lightly." In Romance languages, palper or its cognates function as verbs meaning to feel or palpate (for example, French palper; Spanish palpar). In English-language medical style guides, palper is generally considered archaic or a misspelling of palpate.

Beyond language, palper can be encountered as a proper noun in certain contexts, such as surnames or place names in fictional or genealogical sources. Because it lacks a stable, widely accepted meaning in modern English, its interpretation is highly dependent on context and language of origin. In most professional writing, authors will prefer palpate or palpation for medical descriptions and will treat palper as either a historical variant or a loanword form rather than a standard English term. Related terms include palpate, palpation, and palpatory, which are the established forms used to describe the act of feeling a body part by touch.