having an abnormal or misshapen body or limbs; changed from the original shape in an ugly or wrong way.
From Latin 'deformis,' a combination of 'de-' (away from) and 'forma' (form). The prefix indicates a movement away from the proper form.
The history of the word 'deformed' is deeply entangled with ableism—what was considered 'deformed' changed radically across cultures and centuries. Modern medicine recognizes that variation isn't deformity; it's just diversity of form.
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