adermatoglyphia

ader·ma·to·gly·phia
A1D2E1R1M3A1T1O1G2L1Y4P3H4I1A1
UK/eɪˌdɜː.mə.təʊˈɡlɪ.fɪ.ə/US/eɪˌdɝ.mə.təˈɡlɪ.fi.ə/

noun

The absence of epidermal ridges (fingerprints and toeprints).

OriginAncient Greek ἀ- →
Scrabble 27
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Meanings

nounadermatoglyphia (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe absence of epidermal ridges (fingerprints and toeprints).
    2 more examples

    Dyskeratosis congenita is a rare congenital syndrome, characterized by the triad of reticular skin pigmentation, mucosal leukoplakia, and nail dystrophy, plus the predisposition to bone marrow failure and malignancy. […] Other cutaneous findings may include alopecia, hyperkeratosis of the palms and soles, and adermatoglyphia (loss of dermal ridges on fingers and toes).

    2011, “Genodermatoses”, in Lawrence Charles Parish, Sarah Brenner, Marcia Ramos-e-Silva, Jennifer L. Parish, editors, Manual of Gender Dermatology, Sudbury, Mass.: Jones & Bartlett Learning, →ISBN, part III (Heredity and Environment), page 85

    A problem in forensics for this type of identification is people who are born without or do not have fingerprints. A Swiss woman and a portion of her family members were born without fingerprints in a condition called adermatoglyphia. Her genotype was mapped and discovered she had a point mutation in the SMARCAD1 gene located in the chromosome 4q22, which caused her to be born without the loops, whorls, and arches in her digits that are associated with fingerprints[…]. There are other cases that result in adermatoglyphia such as the disease dermatopathia pigmentosa reticularis, Naegeli syndrome, and manual removal of one's fingerprints which is a temporary but painful technique.

    2016, Robert A. Norman, Marty Walsh, “Forensic Dermatology”, in Robert A. Norman, editor, Personalized, Evolutionary, and Ecological Dermatology, [Cham, Switzerland]: Springer Nature, →DOI, →ISBN, page 33
    1. specificallyuncountablemedicineAn autosomal dominant genetic disorder, caused by mutations in the SMARCAD1 gene, resulting in the absence of epidermal ridges.

      A rare genetic condition called adermatoglyphia leaves some people with no fingerprints at all.

      2017, Graham Lawton, Jeremy Webb, “The Body”, in How to be Human: The Ultimate Guide to Your Amazing Existence, London: John Murray; New York, N.Y.: Nicholas Brealey Publishing, →ISBN
      1 more example

      Monogenic disorders offer unique opportunities for researchers to shed light upon fundamental physiological processes in humans. We investigated a large family affected with autosomal-dominant adermatoglyphia (absence of fingerprints) also known as the "immigration delay disease."

      2011 August 12, Janna Nousbeck et al., “A Mutation in a Skin-specific Isoform of SMARCAD1 Causes Autosomal-dominant Adermatoglyphia”, in American Journal of Human Genetics, volume 89, number 2, →DOI, abstract, page 302

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἀ-
  2. Englishadermatoglyphia

From Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-, the alpha privativum, a prefix forming words having a sense opposite to the word or stem to which it is attached; a-) + δέρμα (dérma, “skin”) + γλυφή (gluphḗ, “carving”) + -ία (-ía, suffix forming feminine abstract nouns); analysable as a- + dermato- + glyph + -a.

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 皮紋病 /皮纹病
  • 皮紋病 /皮纹病 (píwénbìng)rare congenital absence of epidermal ridges; genetic disorder which causes this condition
German Adermatoglyphie
  • Adermatoglyphierare congenital absence of epidermal ridges; genetic disorder which causes this condition
Greek αδερματογλυφία
  • αδερματογλυφία (adermatoglyfía)rare congenital absence of epidermal ridges; genetic disorder which causes this condition
Indonesian adermatoglifia
  • adermatoglifiarare congenital absence of epidermal ridges; genetic disorder which causes this condition
Italian adermatoglifia
  • adermatoglifiarare congenital absence of epidermal ridges; genetic disorder which causes this condition
Portuguese adermatoglifia
  • adermatoglifiarare congenital absence of epidermal ridges; genetic disorder which causes this condition
Spanish adermatoglifia
  • adermatoglifiarare congenital absence of epidermal ridges; genetic disorder which causes this condition
Cite this entry
APA

adermatoglyphia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adermatoglyphia

MLA

“adermatoglyphia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adermatoglyphia. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “adermatoglyphia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adermatoglyphia.

Source: adermatoglyphia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.