A congenital condition where a fetus or organism has only partially developed or missing limbs on one side of the body.
From Greek 'hemi-' (half) and 'melos' (limb). This medical term emerged in 19th-century anatomical and obstetrical literature to classify birth defects involving asymmetrical limb development.
Hemimelus reveals how ancient Greek roots are still the building blocks of modern medicine—doctors today can describe a condition precisely using words created over 2,000 years ago, showing the enduring power of combining simple root words.
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