onychectomy

English

Etymology

onych- (“nail”) +‎ -ectomy

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌɒnɪˈkɛktəmi/
• Rhymes: -ɛktəmi

Noun

onychectomy (plural onychectomies)

1. (medicine) The surgical removal of a fingernail or toenail.
2. (veterinary medicine) Surgically remove the distal phalange of each digit of the forefeet of a cat.

   Synonym: declawing

   • 2015, Ilona Rodan, Sarah Heath, editors, Feline Behavioral Health and Welfare, Elsevier Health Sciences, →ISBN, page 17:

     A good example of the potential discrepancy between human and feline goals is onychectomy, or declawing.