phocomelia

American  

[foh-koh-mee-lee-uh, -meel-yuh] / ˌfoʊ koʊˈmi li ə, -ˈmil yə /

Sometimes phocomely or phokomelia

noun

Pathology.

1. a usually congenital deformity of the extremities in which the limbs are abnormally short.

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phocomelia British  

/ fəʊˈkɒməlɪ, ˌfəʊkəʊˈmiːlɪə /

noun

1. a congenital deformity resulting from prenatal interference with the development of the fetal limbs, characterized esp by short stubby hands or feet attached close to the body

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Other Word Forms

• phocomelic adjective

Etymology

Origin of phocomelia

1890–95; < New Latin, equivalent to phōco-, combining form representing Greek phṓkē seal + -melia -melia

Example Sentences

The 17-year-old from Jammu district was born with phocomelia, a rare congenital disorder, making her the world’s first - and only active - female archer to compete without arms.

From BBC

In medical terms Paul’s birth defects are known as phocomelia syndrome.

From Washington Times

The disorder is called phocomelia, but no one knows how to treat it or prevent it—a troublingly relevant story in the age of Zika.

From The New Yorker

The development of seal-like flippers, a condition known as phocomelia that previously affected an estimated 1 in 4 million infants, began to crop up by the dozens in many countries.

From Washington Post

This is resulting in more children being born with phocomelia, or absent limbs, as thalidomide is teratogenic.

From Forbes