Meanings
plural phocomelias
- uncountableusuallyA congenital disorder of the limbs, the affected person being born with abnormally short or missing bones and flipper-like hands or feet.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan abnormality of development in which the upper part of an arm or leg is missing so the hands or feet are attached to the body like stumps; rare condition that results from taking thalidomide during pregnancy
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekφώκη“seal (marine animal)”
- Englishphocomelia
From Ancient Greek φώκη (phṓkē, “seal (marine animal)”) + μέλος (mélos, “limb”) + -ia.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Danish fokomeli
- fokomeliphocomelia
French phocomélie
- phocoméliephocomelia
German Phokomelie, Robbengliedrigkeit
- Phokomeliephocomelia
- Robbengliedrigkeitphocomelia
- Phokomelusphocomelia
Italian focomelia
- focomeliaphocomelia
Polish fokomelia
- fokomeliaphocomelia
Portuguese focomelia
- focomeliaphocomelia
Spanish focomelia
- focomeliaphocomelia
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with phocomelia
Cite this entry
phocomelia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phocomelia
“phocomelia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phocomelia. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phocomelia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phocomelia.
Source: phocomelia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.