A painful bump that forms on the side of your big toe, usually from wearing tight shoes or from genetics.
From Old French 'buigne' meaning a bump or swelling on the head, possibly related to 'bunt' (a blow). The specific foot condition usage emerged in medical terminology by the 1700s.
Bunions reveal how humans' switch from barefoot to shoes completely changed our feet over thousands of years—our big toes naturally angle inward, and tight shoes force them even more, creating these painful bumps.
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