onychotillomania

noun

A compulsion for picking and tearing at one's fingernails or toenails.

OriginAncient Greek ὄνυξ →
Scrabble 26
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Meanings

nounonychotillomania (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA compulsion for picking and tearing at one's fingernails or toenails.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekὄνυξ“nail”
  2. Englishonychotillomania

From Ancient Greek ὄνυξ (ónux, “nail”) (compare onycho-) + τίλλω (tíllō, “to pluck”) + -mania.

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

onychotillomania. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onychotillomania

MLA

“onychotillomania.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onychotillomania. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “onychotillomania,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onychotillomania.

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