ADACTYLOUS Meaning and
Definition
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Adactylous is an adjective that refers to the absence or the lack of digits or toes. It is derived from the Greek words "a-", meaning "without," and "daktylos," meaning "finger" or "toe." The term is commonly used in biology and zoology to describe certain species that do not possess digits or have very rudimentary forms of them.
When applied to animals, adactylous typically describes reptiles, amphibians, or birds that have adapted to no longer have visible or functional toes. These adaptations vary between species, with some completely lacking any trace of digits, while others may retain small, non-functional remnants. For example, certain snake species are adactylous as they have evolved to have no external traces of limbs or feet.
In botany, adactylous can also describe plants that do not display any growth of finger-like or digit-like structures. This term is often used to classify species with very small or indistinct appendages, such as certain ferns or mosses.
Overall, adactylous denotes the absence or extreme reduction of visible or functional digits, appendages, or toes in animals or plants. It highlights the adaptive changes and evolutionary transformations such organisms have undergone to survive and thrive in their respective environments.
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A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for ADACTYLOUS
- zdactylous
- sdactylous
- wdactylous
- qdactylous
- asactylous
- axactylous
- acactylous
- afactylous
- aractylous
- aeactylous
- adzctylous
- adsctylous
- adwctylous
- adqctylous
- adaxtylous
- adavtylous
- adaftylous
- adadtylous
- adacrylous
Etymology of ADACTYLOUS
The word adactylous originates from the combination of two Greek roots: a-, meaning without or not, and daktylos, meaning finger or toe. Hence, adactylous literally translates to without fingers or without toes.
Similar spelling words for ADACTYLOUS
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