There are many different tongue-twisting terms to describe
nail conditions, so we thought we'd provide a glossary of terms
you may hear relating to the nails.
For more information on specific nail conditions, please visit our web page on
information about nail
disorders and their treatment.
The glossary is in alphabetical order, but I'll start by
mentioning that Onyx is the Greek word for nail, and
Unguis
is the Latin word for nail. Knowing this makes it easier to see the
derivation of many of the words below, many of which contain the prefix "onych-"
or "ungui-". |
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Agnail--another word
for Hangnail.
Anonychia--the
absence of a nail. This word comes from the Greek prefix "a-", meaning
"without", and "onych-" meaning "nail".
Eponychium--another
word for the proximal nail fold pictured above.
Granuloma--overgrowth
of highly vascular (good blood supply) soft tissue, typically caused from
chronic irritation of a nail, such as an ingrown nail. A good example is
the red tissue on the side of the nail as shown in the picture of the ingrown
nail below.
Hangnail--a small
loose flap of skin next to a nail plate. Another word for Agnail.
Hapalonychia--soft
nails. Same as Onychomalacia.
Hyponychium--the skin
under the tip of the nail (see the picture above).
Incurvated Nails--nails which are curved and dig into the side of the skin, but without breaking
the skin and being truly ingrown. Same as
Onychoincurvatum.
Note the difference between an
Ingrown nail or
onychocrpytosis.
Ingrown Nails--nails
which are digging into the skin, thereby causing a break in the skin.
Ingrown nails are characterized by inflammation and because of the break in the
skin, they are frequently infected. We have a separate web page that
discusses
ingrown
nails, and another web page that discusses
nail
surgery. Another word for this is
Onychocryptosis.
Note the difference between this and Onychoincurvatum. |
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Koilonychia--spoon-shaped nails.
Leukonychia--white
discoloration of the nail. When leukonychia appears as a white line or
series of white lines, it is known as leukonychia
striata. (Example of leukonychia
striata is shown on the right.) When leukonychia appears as white
spots or white dots, it is known as leukonychia
punctata. White nails may also be an
early manifestation of fungal nails. |
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Lunula--the white part
at the base of the nail. The lunula is illustrated in the diagram at the
top of the page.
Matrix--the root of the
nail. The place from which the nail grows.
Onycha-
or Onycho-
is a prefix meaning "nail". It comes from the Greek word for
nail, "Onyx".
Onychauxis--thickening of the nail. (See picture to the right.) |
|
Onychitis--inflammation
of the nail bed.
Onychocyanosis--bluish
colour to the nail, usually from a circulatory or hear disorder.
Onychocryptosis--another word for an Ingrown nail.
We have a
separate web page that discusses
ingrown
nails, and another web page that discusses
nail
surgery.
Onychodystrophy--generalized term for any malformation of the nail.
Onychogryphosis--severe overgrowth of nails to the extent that the nails have the appearance
of a ram's horn. (See picture to the right.) |
|
Onychoheterotropia--abnormally
located nails.
Onychoincurvatum--an incurvated nail, without necessarily being ingrown.
Onycholysis--loosening of the nail plate from a border. May result in
Onychoptosis. |
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Onychomalacia--soft nails. Same as
Hapalonychia. Opposite
of Onychorrhexis.
Onychomadesis--complete
loss of nails.
Onychomalia--abnormally
thin nails.
Onychomycosis--fungus
in the nail.
Onychophagia--chewing of the nails.
Onychophosis--callus in the nail groove, common with incurvated nails.
Onychophyma--painful
hypertrophy (enlargment or swelling) of nail.
Onychoptosis--periodic
shedding of part or all of nail. May be preceded by
Onycholysis.
Onychorrhexis--abnormal brittleness of nails. Opposite of
Onychomalacia
or Hapalonchia.
Onychotillomania--compulsive picking at a nail.
Onychotomy--surgical
removal of nail.
Onyx--Greek
word for nail. See Unguis.
Paronychia--infection
and overgrowth reaction of the soft tissues around the nail. (See picture
to the right.) |
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Platonychia--increased curvature of the nail in the long axis, (where the nail is growing
around the tip of the toe).
Pterygium--overgrowth
of the cuticle. (See picture to the right.) |
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Trachyonychia--
rough nail surfaces.
Tinea unguium--fungus
in the nail
caused by dermatophytes. See
onychomycosis.
Unguis--the Latin word for nail. See Onyx.
Unguis incarnatus--ingrowing Nail.