noun
-
a deformed condition; disfigurement
-
pathol an acquired or congenital distortion of an organ or part
-
a deformed person or thing
-
a defect, esp of the mind or morals; depravity
Other Word Forms
- nondeformity noun
Etymology
Origin of deformity
1350–1400; Middle English deformite < Old French < Latin dēfōrmitās, equivalent to dēfōrm ( is ) deform 2 + -itās -ity
Explanation
A deformity happens when a body part is misshapen. A deformity can also be a change for the worse in something's appearance. A two-headed kitten has a deformity. Usually a deformity is the result of an accident or a genetic defect. Although most people want to avoid deformities, in the novel Geek Love by Katherine Dunn (1989), the mother of a circus family takes drugs while she’s pregnant, hoping to cause deformities in her children. She succeeds with her son Arturo, who has flippers instead of arms and legs. In his world, people with regular arms and legs have the deformity.
Vocabulary lists containing deformity
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Surgery is often required to prevent heel deformity.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2024
Leprosy primarily affects the skin and peripheral nervous system, causing physical deformity and desensitizing one’s ability to feel pain on affected skin.
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2024
Growth plates are weaker than the surrounding muscles and bones and prone to injury that can lead to either reversible changes or permanent deformity.
From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2023
For example, large-breed dogs like golden and Labrador retrievers are prone to hip dysplasia, a deformity of the hip joint.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 18, 2023
Westley fell like a beaten stone, his last conscious thought being of the Count’s right hand; it was six-fingered, and Westley could never quite remember having encountered that deformity before....
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
