Azygous
/ˈæzɪɡəs/noun
Not paired or occurring as a single, unmatched structure.
Did you know?In anatomy, the azygos vein was named “unpaired” because it has no matching vein on the body’s opposite side.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*yugóm
“Yoke; a joining or pairing device”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ζυγόν (zugón)
“Yoke; something that joins two things”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἄζυγος (ázugos)
“Unyoked, not paired, or unmatched; formed with a- “not” plus zugos “yoke””
Late Antiquity
Latin
azygus
“Unpaired or without a corresponding member”
17th Century
New Latin/English
azygous
“Scientific adjective meaning single, unmatched, or not paired”
Modern English
English
azygous
“Used especially in anatomy, biology, and botany for an unpaired structure”