Standard Lemma guide

polydactyly

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌpɒl.ɪˈdak.tɪl.i/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˌpɑl.iˈdæk.təl.i/

1

noun

Meaning 1

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: medicine, sciences, teratology

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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hyperdactyly

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: birth defect, congenital anomaly, congenital defect, congenital disorder, congenital abnormality

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: كَثْرَة اَلْأَصَابِع — condition of having more than the usual number of digits
  • Chinese Mandarin: 多指 (duōzhǐ) — condition of having more than the usual number of digits
  • Chinese Mandarin: 多指畸形 (duōzhǐyīxíng) — condition of having more than the usual number of digits
  • Czech: polydaktylie — condition of having more than the usual number of digits
  • Finnish: polydaktylia — condition of having more than the usual number of digits
  • French: polydactylisme — condition of having more than the usual number of digits
  • French: polydactylie — condition of having more than the usual number of digits
  • German: Polydaktylie — condition of having more than the usual number of digits
  • Indonesian: polidaktili — condition of having more than the usual number of digits
  • Korean: 다지증 (dajijeung) — condition of having more than the usual number of digits
  • Swedish: polydaktyli — condition of having more than the usual number of digits
  • Tagalog: pagkakaingkit — condition of having more than the usual number of digits