MALFORMATION

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does malformation mean? 

• MALFORMATION (noun)
  The noun MALFORMATION has 2 senses:

1. an affliction in which some part of the body is misshapen or malformed

2. something abnormal or anomalous

  Familiarity information: MALFORMATION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MALFORMATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An affliction in which some part of the body is misshapen or malformed

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

deformity; malformation; misshapenness

Hypernyms ("malformation" is a kind of...):

affliction (a condition of suffering or distress due to ill health)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "malformation"):

Arnold-Chiari deformity (deformity in which part of the brain protrudes through the skull)

clawfoot; pes cavus (a deformity of the foot characterized by an abnormally high arch and hyperextension of the toes which gives the foot the appearance of a claw)

cleft foot (a deformity in which the space between the third and fourth toes extends up into the foot)

clubfoot; talipes (congenital deformity of the foot usually marked by a curled shape or twisted position of the ankle and heel and toes)

chicken breast; pigeon breast (abnormal protrusion of the breastbone caused by rickets)

plagiocephaly (congenital malformation of the skull in which the main axis of the skull is oblique)

scaphocephaly (congenital malformation of the skull which is long and narrow; frequently accompanied by mental retardation)

valgus (a deformity in which there is an abnormal displacement of part of a limb away from the midline of the body)

varus (a deformity in which part of a limb is turned inward to an abnormal degree)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Something abnormal or anomalous

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

malformation; miscreation

Hypernyms ("malformation" is a kind of...):

failure (an event that does not accomplish its intended purpose)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "malformation"):

monstrosity (something hideous or frightful)

 Context examples 

Most brain malformations begin long before a baby is born.

(Brain Malformations, NIH)

It may be associated with other congenital heart malformations.

(Congenital Pulmonary Artery Stenosis, NCI Thesaurus)

Other signs and symptoms include hypotrichosis and teeth malformations.

(Autosomal Recessive Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia, NCI Thesaurus)

Characteristics include profound mental retardation and severe malformations.

(Complete Trisomy 18 Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

A syndrome characterized by the presence of structural malformations that are present at birth and can be attributed to an exogenous cause.

(Congenital Malformation Syndrome due to Known Exogenous Cause, NCI Thesaurus)

A malformation in the lung that is present at birth.

(Congenital Lung Malformation, NCI Thesaurus)

A disorder characterized by malformations in the structure of the capillaries in the brain.

(Cerebral Cavernous Malformation, NCI Thesaurus)

The malformations vary greatly in size and location, and produce symptoms through rupture (see also INTRACRANIAL HEMORRHAGES), mass effect, and vascular steal effect.

(Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformation, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Congenital or acquired malformations involving arteries, veins, or venous sinuses of the brain, spinal cord, and meninges.

(Central Nervous System Vascular Malformation, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Signs and symptoms include low birth weight, craniofacial malformations, hands and feet malformations, and mental and psychomotor retardation.

(Monosomy 13q Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)