Nummular

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈnʌmjʊlə/

Definitions

1. Relating to or resembling coins, especially in shape, or describing certain lesions that appear coin-like in dermatology
2. Characterized by a circular or disk-like appearance, particularly in the context of coin-shaped skin conditions
3. Pertaining to coins or a coin-like form, often used to describe specific dermatological manifestations or lesions that appear round

Etymology: The surprise here is that a word for coins gave its name to a skin condition. "Nummular" comes from Latin "nummulus," a small sum of money, itself a diminutive of "nummus," meaning a coin or piece of money. English added the suffix "-ar," which forms adjectives meaning "of, pertaining to, or near," so the word literally means "coin-like." Further back, "nummus" was borrowed from a Doric Greek form, "noûmmos," which came from the Ancient Greek "nómos," a kind of coin. That Greek word traces to "némō," meaning "to deal out, dispense, or distribute," so the earliest sense of money was something dealt out or allotted, much as a share is handed round. The adjective's most distinctive use is medical. Nummular dermatitis, a skin inflammation, is characterized by coin-shaped lesions, which is where the word's modern association with disk-like forms comes from. The word also describes a coin-shaped brooch from the 900 to 1100 period, unearthed in Oxfordshire, England.