Onychocryptosis
/ˌɒnɪkoʊkrɪpˈtoʊsɪs/noun
A condition in which the edge of a toenail or fingernail grows into the surrounding skin, especially an ingrown toenail.
Did you know?Its second element comes from Ancient Greek kryptos, “hidden” or “concealed,” the same root behind crypt and encrypt.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃nogʰ-
“A reconstructed root associated with the fingernail or claw, ancestral to Greek onyx.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὄνυξ (onyx)
“Claw, talon, or fingernail; the source of the medical combining form onycho-.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κρυπτός (kryptos)
“Hidden, concealed, or covered; related to kryptō, “to hide.””
19th Century
Medical Latin
onychocryptosis
“A technical medical formation meaning a condition involving a concealed or ingrown nail.”
Modern English
English
onychocryptosis
“Ingrown nail, especially an ingrown toenail.”
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