polydactyly

pol·y·dac·tyl·y
P3O1L1Y4D2A1C3T1Y4L1Y4
UK/ˌpɒl.ɪˈdak.tɪl.i/US/ˌpɑl.iˈdæk.təl.i/

noun

A congenital condition in which a person or animal has more than the usual number of digits (fingers or toes) on at least one of the hands or feet.

RareScrabble 25

Meanings

nounpolydactyly (countable and uncountable, plural polydactylies)

plural polydactylies

  1. countableuncountablemedicineA congenital condition in which a person or animal has more than the usual number of digits (fingers or toes) on at least one of the hands or feet.

    The rare polydactylies, that is, not clearly only postaxial or only preaxial, are the most likely to be associated with an underlying syndrome.

    2021, Leah W. Burke, “3: Genetics of Associated Syndromes”, in Donald R. Laub Jr., editor, Congenital Anomalies of the Upper Extremity, Springer, page 42
    3 more examples

    2003, Karl-Heinz Grzeschik, 66: Greig Cephalopolysyndactyly Syndrome, Mary Ann McLaughlin (supervising editor), NORD Guide to Rare Disorders, National Organization for Rare Disorders, Wolters Kluwer (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins), page 201, Postaxial polydactyly is common in the hands and preaxial polydactyly in the feet.

    Pranamya Menaria (India; born August 10, 2005) has 25 in total (12 fingers and 13 toes). This is as a result of the condition Polydactyly and Syndactyly.

    2008, “Most Fingers and Toes — Living Person”, in Guinness World Records, Human Body — Extreme Bodies

    Polydactyly with a triphalangeal thumb will be described in the chapter on the triphalangeal thumb.[…]The incidence of polydactyly depends on the population studied and the definition used. Region, ethnicity and combined numbers of all polydactylies, or only radial or ulnar-sided polydactyly, provide very different incidences in published series.

    2023, Christianne van Nieuwenhoven, Steven Hovius, “9: Thumb Polydactyly”, in Giorgio Pajardi, editor, Pediatric Hand Surgery, Springer, page 102

    Synonyms: hyperdactyly, polydactylism

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA congenital condition in which a person or animal has more than the usual number of digits (fingers or toes) on at least one of the hands or feet.

More synonyms by meaning

nounbirth defect characterized by the presence of more than the normal number of fingers or toes

Broader
birth defectcongenital anomalycongenital defect

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekπολυδάκτυλος
  2. Englishpolydactyly

From Ancient Greek πολυδάκτυλος (poludáktulos) + -y, from πολυ- (polu-, “many”) + δάκτυλος (dáktulos, “digits”), equivalent to poly- + dactyly or polydactyl + -y.^((Etymology 3))

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic كَثْرَة اَلْأَصَابِع
  • كَثْرَة اَلْأَصَابِعcondition of having more than the usual number of digits
Chinese Mandarin 多指, 多指畸形
  • 多指 (duōzhǐ)condition of having more than the usual number of digits
  • 多指畸形 (duōzhǐyīxíng)condition of having more than the usual number of digits
Czech polydaktylie
  • polydaktyliecondition of having more than the usual number of digits
Dutch polydactylie
  • polydactyliecondition of having more than the usual number of digits
Finnish polydaktylia
  • polydaktyliacondition of having more than the usual number of digits
French polydactylisme, polydactylie
  • polydactylismecondition of having more than the usual number of digits
  • polydactyliecondition of having more than the usual number of digits
German Polydaktylie
  • Polydaktyliecondition of having more than the usual number of digits
Indonesian polidaktili
  • polidaktilicondition of having more than the usual number of digits
Korean 다지증
  • 다지증 (dajijeung)condition of having more than the usual number of digits
Swedish polydaktyli
  • polydaktylicondition of having more than the usual number of digits
Tagalog pagkakaingkit
  • pagkakaingkitcondition of having more than the usual number of digits
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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