anophthalmus
|an-oph-thal-mus|
/ˌænɒfˈθæl.məs/
without eye / absence of eye
Etymology
'anophthalmus' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'an-' (meaning 'without') and 'ophthalmos' (meaning 'eye').
'anophthalmus' entered scientific/medical usage via New Latin (medical Latin) as 'anophthalmus', formed from Greek 'an-' + 'ophthalmos', and was adopted unchanged into English medical terminology.
Initially, it meant 'without an eye' in the literal Greek sense; over time it has retained that meaning and is used medically for the congenital absence of the eye(s) and biologically as a genus name for eyeless organisms.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a congenital condition characterized by the absence of one or both eyeballs (anophthalmia).
The infant was born with bilateral anophthalmus and required specialized care.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
a taxonomic genus name (Anophthalmus) for certain eyeless ground beetles (family Carabidae), often cave-adapted.
Anophthalmus species are notable for their complete eye reduction and adaptation to cave habitats.
Last updated: 2025/08/18 16:37