paronychia
/ˌparə(ʊ)ˈnɪkɪə/noun
1 Medicine. An inflammation around a toenail or fingernail; a whitlow; the condition of having this.
2Any of various small carpet-forming plants constituting the genus Paronychia (family Illecebraceae), which have minute apetalous flowers in dense axillary clusters almost concealed by large usually silvery stipules; also called whitlow-wort (several species being formerly reputed to cure whitlows); (in form Paronychia) the genus itself.
- Valid publication of the genus name: P. Miller Gardeners Dict.: Abridged (ed. 4, 1754), after earlier use by J. Pitton de Tournefort Inst. Rei Herbariae (1700) xv. vii. 507..
Origin
Late 16th century. From post-classical Latin paronychia whitlow, plant reputed to cure whitlows from ancient Greek παρωνυχία whitlow, in Hellenistic Greek also plant reputed to cure whitlows from παρα- + ὀνυχ-, ὄνυξ nail + -ία. Compare Middle French, French †paronychie whitlow, the plant paronychia, Middle French, French †paronychia the plant paronychia, French †paronique, paronyque.