Tell me more ×
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 18 down vote favorite
3

I recently read an article about a man who had twelve fingers and twelve toes. Is there a word for this genetic anomaly?

share|improve this question
6  
Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya... – Jordaan Mylonas Sep 27 '11 at 0:47
5  
Someone was looking for you. – Daniel δ Sep 27 '11 at 0:50
I think i know the guy you are talking about. Where he has "perfect" polydactylism. When i first saw his picture i knew something was wrong, but wasn't sure because it really looked normal. – Matt Sep 27 '11 at 5:34

2 Answers

up vote 41 down vote accepted

The word is polydactyly. The Wikipedia link has some cool pictures and x-rays.

share|improve this answer
1  
+1 good one! :) – Alenanno Sep 26 '11 at 17:37
2  
Just as a sidenote: polydactyly is often a dominant trait, and will be seen often in families. – Darwy Sep 26 '11 at 19:25
4  
I suspect they also tend to get a LOT of Princess Bride references thrown at them. – fluffy Sep 26 '11 at 19:59
3  
Also known as "Elite Gamer Mod" :-) – Rory Alsop Sep 26 '11 at 21:22
2  
I read a science fiction story many decades ago in which the characters surmised that we used base ten because many thousands of years ago our ancestors must have had ten fingers instead of twelve. If this trait is truly dominant.... – mickeyf Sep 27 '11 at 13:37
show 2 more comments
up vote 0 down vote

The medical term for this condition is known as polydactyly or polydactylism.

You can refer to these extra pieces of flesh as supernumerary body parts. You can have a supernumerary amount of toes, fingers or any other body part, as list of which can be found here.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.