Amastia
/əˈmæstiə/noun
A congenital or acquired absence of one or both breasts, including the mammary glands.
Did you know?The Greek root *mast-* meaning “breast” also appears in **mastodon**, named because its molar cusps were thought to resemble breasts.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mās-
“A reconstructed root associated with the breast or bodily protuberance; its exact form and semantic development are debated.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μαστός (mastós)
“Breast; especially the breast or teat of a woman or animal.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀ- (a-) + μαστός (mastós)
“The privative prefix a- meaning “without” joined to mastos, “breast.””
19th Century
Medical Greek/English
amastia
“A medical term for absence of the breast or mammary gland.”
Modern English
English
amastia
“Absence of breast development or breast tissue, whether congenital or acquired.”
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