Acral

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈæ.krəl/

Definitions

1. Concerning the surfaces or sections of the body found at the ends of limbs, especially noticeable in fingers and toes
2. Pertaining to the parts of the body at the outermost ends of limbs such as fingers or toes
3. Connected to the tips or distal regions of limbs, including digits and extremities

Etymology: "Acral" is a straightforward formation: it combines "acr-", a combining form from Greek "akros", meaning "extreme" or "topmost," with the English adjectival suffix "-al." The Greek root gives us a family of words built around the idea of an outermost point, such as "acropolis," the high city of ancient Greece, and "acrobat," someone who walks on the tips of things. In medicine and anatomy, "acral" is applied to the extremities of the body, the hands, feet, fingers and toes, which are the parts furthest from the trunk. The word is a technical coinage built from classical parts rather than an inherited or ancient term, so its meaning is precise and narrow: it describes the tips of limbs and nothing else.