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unguis

[ uhng-gwis ]
/ ˈʌŋ gwɪs /
|

noun, plural un·gues [uhng-gweez] /ˈʌŋ gwiz/.

a nail, claw, or hoof.
Botany. the clawlike base of certain petals.

RELATED WORDS

paw, tentacle, fingernail, ungulate, frog, tramp, foot, cleft, cloven, talon, nipper, crook, hook, barb, spur, clapperclaw, fang, manus, grapnel, grappler

Nearby words

unguentum, unguiculate, unguided, unguinal, unguinous, unguis, ungula, ungular, ungulate, unguligrade, unh

Origin of unguis

1685–95; < Latin unguis a nail, claw, hoof; akin to Greek ónyx
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ungues

  • Each of the ungues has a little tuft of strong hairs issuing from the extremity of the terminal joint of the tarsi.

    Illustrations of Exotic Entomology, Volume 1|Dru Drury

  • The furca is, as a rule, a powerful motor-organ, and has its laminae edged with strong teeth (ungues) or setae or both.

    Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 6|Various

  • They include the Lobus superior, the Lobus inferior, and the Ungues.

    An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. III (of 4)|William Kirby

  • Tanquam ungues digitosque suos—As well as his nails and fingers; at his fingers' ends.

    Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources|James Wood

British Dictionary definitions for ungues

unguis

/ (ˈʌŋɡwɪs) /

noun plural -gues (-ɡwiːz)

a nail, claw, or hoof, or the part of the digit giving rise to it
the clawlike base of certain petals

Word Origin for unguis

C18: from Latin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for ungues

unguis

[ ŭng′gwĭs ]

n. pl. un•gues (-gwēz)

Any of the thin horny translucent plates covering the upper surface at the end of each finger and toe, consisting of a visible body and a root concealed under a fold of skin; a fingernail or toenail.onyx
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.