Onychotomy
/ˌɒnɪˈkɒtəmi/noun
The surgical cutting or incision of a nail, claw, or hoof.
Did you know?Onychotomy is built from Greek onyx, meaning “nail” or “claw,” plus -tomia, “cutting,” the same brutal root behind many surgical terms.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃nogʰ-
“A root associated with nails or claws.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὄνυξ (onyx)
“Nail, claw, or hoof.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
τομή (tomē)
“A cutting, incision, or slice.”
Late Greek / Medical Latin
Greek/Latin
onychotomia
“Cutting of a nail or claw; a surgical incision involving the nail.”
Modern English
English
onychotomy
“Surgical cutting of a nail, claw, or hoof.”