What does "eponychium" mean?

The thickened layer of skin adjoining fingernails and toenails, particularly at the base of the nail.

What is a synonym for "eponychium"?

Common synonyms include: medial nail fold, medial nail fold, proximal nail fold.

Pronounced //ɛpəʊˈnɪkɪəm//.

//ɛpəʊˈnɪkɪəm// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
The thickened layer of skin adjoining fingernails and toenails, particularly at the base of the nail.
"The nail is replaced to provide a physiologic dressing and to splint open the eponychium so that a new nail will grow in place."
2
The protective capsule that surrounds the hoof of foetuses and neonates of hoofed animals, which disappears soon after birth, but remnants of which remain as part of the permanent hoof.
"The hooves are tipped with collagenous eponychia, which prevents damage to the amnion and beyond."

"The nail is replaced to provide a physiologic dressing and to splint open the eponychium so that a new nail will grow in place."

From Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí, “on top of”) + ὀνῠ́χιον (onŭ́khion, “little claw”, diminutive of ὄνυξ (ónux)).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.