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paronychia

[par-uh-nik-ee-uh]
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noun Pathology.
  1. inflammation of the folds of skin bordering a nail of a finger or toe, usually characterized by infection and pus formation; felon.
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Origin of paronychia

1590–1600; < Latin parōnychia < Greek parōnychía whitlow, equivalent to par- par- + onych- (stem of ónyx) claw, nail + -ia -ia
Related formspar·o·nych·i·al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for paronychia

Historical Examples

  • They occur normally in the sepals of Paronychia serpyllifolia and other plants.

    Vegetable Teratology

    Maxwell T. Masters

  • The absence of acute inflammatory symptoms in the first variety distinguishes it from paronychia, whitlow, and gout.

  • Hence light is as intolerable in this kind of ophthalmia, as pressure is to the finger in the paronychia.

    Zoonomia, Vol. I

    Erasmus Darwin

Word Origin and History for paronychia

n.

inflammation beside a fingernail, 1590s, from Latin, from Greek paronykhia "whitlow," from para- "beside" (see para- (1)) + onyx "nail" (see nail (n.)).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
paronychia in Medicine

paronychia

(păr′ə-nĭk′ē-ə)
n.
  1. Inflammation of the tissue surrounding a nail.
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Related formspar′o•nych′i•al adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.