Ungual

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Pertaining to or connected with the nails or claws of animals or humans
2. Describing something associated with or characteristic of fingernails or toenails
3. Relating directly to the keratinous coverings on digits, such as claws or nails

Etymology: "Ungual" is a plain formation: it takes the Latin noun "unguis", meaning "nail, claw, hoof", and adds the English adjective-forming suffix "-al", which turns a noun into a word meaning "relating to" that noun. So an ungual feature is one that relates to a nail or claw. The Latin noun itself is ancient and has a close relative in English. "Unguis" passed into English largely through scientific and anatomical writing, where it names the nail-like structures at the tips of fingers and toes, and where it is used for claws on animals. Because the adjective keeps the Latin root almost intact, "ungual" sounds like a clinical term, and that is the register in which it is mostly found today, in descriptions of anatomy and zoology.