acro-, acr-

Any disease involving the skin of the hands or feet: Because the top of Jack's hands were becoming so dry even though he used hand lotion, he went to see a dermatologist who diagnosed it as being a condition of acrodermatosis.

Abnormal or unreasonable length of hands and feet: In the newspaper Bob read about a person having a case of acrodolichomelia which was explained as being a result of disproportionate or continued growth beyond the usual time of physical maturation.

Referring to teeth attached to the upper surface of the jaw rather than encased in a socket: Acrodont is a condition seen in many lizards and fish.

One type of lizard that has teeth stuck to the top of the alveolar ridge: An acrodont can refer to certain kinds of lizards or to some kinds of snakes that have no roots to their teeth which are joined to the jawbones.

In botany, referring to the veins of a leaf converging at its point: In the genus Ziziphus, the venation of the foliage of the plant first runs parallel to the edges of the leaf, and then terminates at its tip.

1. A disease characterized by pain, swelling, and pink coloration of the fingers and toes: Acrodynia is a syndrome caused almost exclusively by mercury poisoning in children, and causes gastrointestinal symptoms in adults in addition to anorexia, photophobia, sweating, and tachycardia (fast heart beat).
2. Etymology: from Greek acro, "extreme, top" + Greek odyne, "pain"; literally a ain in an extremity; such as, the hands or the feet.

An abnormal sensation on the skin, usually on the hands and feet: During the healing process after her legs had been burned, Sally experienced frequent episodes of acrodysesthesia which were painful with feelings of tingling, numbness, and even burning pains.

Mark was puzzled by the many acrodysesthesias that he was experiencing in his finger tips which made it barely possible for him to press them together or to touch anything.

A disorder in which the hands and feet are short with stubby fingers and toes: With acrodysostosis growth, retardation (including mental retardation) is progressive, and marked by nasal "hypoplasia", or underdevelopment.

An accumulation of an excessive amount of watery fluid in the cells, tissues, or serous cavities of the hands or feet: Bill's feet were hurting him so much that he almost couldn't walk anymore and, after seeing his doctor, found out that he had a case of acroedema which could be a permanent ailment if not treated in its early stages.

Pain in one or more of the bodily extremities, such as in the hands, fingers, feet, toes, etc.: Mr. Black, the physiotherapist, made a special sock for Nancy to protect her from the acroesthesia she was experiencing in the soles of her feet.

A plant that has a perennial stem with the growing point at the tip: Acrogens are flowerless florae, such as the mosses or the cryptogam ferns.

Pertaining to florae that don't produce flowers and where growth occurs at the tips of the stems: Jane watched the acrogenous ferns in the garden day by day as the tips of the stems slowly uncurled and grew to the full lengths.

The premature aging of the skin on the digital extremities accompanied by wrinkling: Acrogeria is a syndrome which occurs early in life, often in early childhood, and can be further described as the skin of the hands or feet becoming fragile and thin.

Acrogeria can also be described as a congenital reduction or loss of subcutaneous (under the skin) fat and collagen of the hands and feet.

Normal sensory recognition of the limbs; cenesthesia: When Clive went to see his doctor for a regular checkup, Dr. Robinson said that he was healthy, including acrognosis, which meant that he had the usual sensorial feelings in his arms and legs and of the different parts of each limb in relation to each other.

1. Words produced by the use of all of the letters from a term which, in turn, form the first letter of each new word: An example of an acrogram is the use of the word “dare” to form four new words each beginning with the letters “d”, “a”, “r”, and “e”.

An acrogram can be further exemplified by the use of the letters of a word as a basis for forming lines of poetry or lines in a song, etc. by referring to each of the letters of the base word.