onych/o
nail
From Greek onyx (stem onych-), nail, claw
Meaning
What does onych/o mean?
onych/o is a root meaning nail. It comes from Greek onyx (stem onych-), nail, claw.
Inside words it is spelled onych.
Paronychia uses par-, the short form of para- (beside), for infection of the skin fold beside the nail.
In real words
Medical words with onych/o
a fungal infection of the nails, most often the toenails
separation of a nail from its nail bed
inflammation, usually infection, of the skin folds around a fingernail or toenail
onychorrhexis
brittle nails that split and break, often with ridges running along their length
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
- 3.2 Word Components Related to the Integumentary System – Medical Terminology 2e
- Appendix A: Word Parts and What They Mean
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Skin, hair and nails
onych/o is one of 6 parts in this lesson. Learn them together, then take real words apart.
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