anomaly
Other forms: anomalies
An anomaly is an abnormality, a blip on the screen of life that doesn’t fit with the rest of the pattern. If you are a breeder of black dogs and one puppy comes out pink, that puppy is an anomaly.
The noun anomaly comes from the Greek word anomolia, meaning "uneven” or “irregular.” When something is unusual compared to similar things around it, it’s the anomaly. If you are an Olympian who comes from a family of bookish types who all find it strenuous to walk the dog, you are an anomaly.
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deviation from the normal or common order or form or rulesynonyms: anomalousnesstypes:birth defect, congenital abnormality, congenital anomaly, congenital defect, congenital disordera defect that is present at birthablephariaa congenital absence of eyelids (partial or complete)albinismthe congenital absence of pigmentation in the eyes and skin and hairanencephalia, anencephalya defect in brain development resulting in small or missing brain hemispheresametriacongenital absence of the uteruscolor blindness, color vision deficiency, colour blindness, colour vision deficiencygenetic inability to distinguish differences in hueepispadiasa congenital abnormality in males in which the urethra is on the upper surface of the penisclinocephalism, clinocephalya congenital defect in which the top of the head is depressed (concave instead of convex)clinodactylya congenital defect in which one or more toes or fingers are abnormally positionedmacroglossiaa congenital disorder characterized by an abnormally large tongue; often seen in cases of Down's syndromeDown syndrome, Down's syndrome, mongolianism, mongolism, trisomy 21a congenital disorder caused by having an extra 21st chromosome; results in a flat face and short stature and mental retardationacrocephaly, oxycephalya congenital abnormality of the skull; the top of the skull assumes a cone shapecleft palatea congenital fissure of the hard palateameliacongenital absence of an arm or legmeromeliacongenital absence of part of an arm or legencephaloceleprotrusion of brain tissue through a congenital fissure in the skullmeningocelea congenital anomaly of the central nervous system in which a sac protruding from the brain or the spinal meninges contains cerebrospinal fluid (but no nerve tissue)myelomeningocelea congenital defect of the central nervous system in which a sac containing part of the spinal cord and its meninges protrude through a gap in the vertebral column; frequently accompanied by hydrocephalus and mental retardationplagiocephalycongenital malformation of the skull in which the main axis of the skull is obliquepolysomycongenital defect of having one or more extra chromosomes in somatic cellshermaphrodism, hermaphroditismcongenital condition in which external genitalia and internal sex organs have both male and female characteristicspseudohermaphroditismcongenital condition in which a person has external genitalia of one sex and internal sex organs of the other sexscaphocephalycongenital malformation of the skull which is long and narrow; frequently accompanied by mental retardationcongenital heart defecta birth defect involving the heartrachischisis, schistorrhachis, spina bifidaa not uncommon congenital defect in which a vertebra is malformed; unless several vertebrae are affected or there is myelomeningocele there are few symptoms; can be diagnosed by amniocentesisspinocerebellar disorderany of several congenital disorders marked by degeneration of the cerebellum and spinal cord resulting in spasticity and ataxiahyperdactyly, polydactylybirth defect characterized by the presence of more than the normal number of fingers or toessyndactylism, syndactylybirth defect in which there is partial or total webbing connecting two or more fingers or toesankyloglossia, tongue tiea congenital anomaly in which the mucous membrane under the tongue is too short limiting the mobility of the tonguetype of:abnormalcy, abnormalityan abnormal physical condition resulting from defective genes or developmental deficiencies
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a person who is unusualsynonyms: unusual persontypes:anachronisma person who seems to be displaced in time; who belongs to another ageaberrantone whose behavior departs substantially from the norm of a groupalbinoa person with congenital albinism: white hair and milky skin; eyes are usually pinkbehemoth, colossus, giant, goliath, monstersomeone or something that is abnormally large and powerfulJekyll and Hydesomeone with two personalities - one good and one evilkook, odd fellow, odd fish, odd man out, queer bird, queer ducksomeone regarded as eccentric or crazy and standing out from a groupmisfitsomeone unable to adapt to his or her circumstancesugly ducklingan ugly or unpromising child who grows into a beautiful or worthy personanthropoidperson who resembles a nonhuman primate
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(astronomy) position of a planet as defined by its angular distance from its perihelion (as observed from the sun)
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Vocabulary lists containing anomaly
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In this novel, a boy with facial anomalies tries to navigate the sometimes treacherous world of public school.