astigmatometer
|a-stig-ma-tom-e-ter|
🇺🇸
/əˌstɪɡməˈtɑːmɪtər/
🇬🇧
/əˌstɪɡməˈtɒmɪtə/
measure astigmatism
Etymology
'astigmatometer' originates from Neo-Latin/Greek combining forms: 'astigmat-' from Greek 'astigmatismos' (from 'a-' meaning 'without' + 'stigma' meaning 'point, mark') and '-ometer' from Greek 'metron' meaning 'measure'.
'astigmatometer' was formed in modern medical English in the late 19th to early 20th century as instruments for measuring ocular refractive errors were developed; it combines the Greek-derived element 'astigmat(o)-' with the instrument-forming suffix '-ometer' in the same pattern as words like 'thermometer' or 'barometer'.
Initially it would have been understood literally as a 'device for measuring lack of a focal point'; over time its meaning narrowed to denote specifically 'an instrument for measuring astigmatism or differences in corneal/lenticular curvature'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an instrument for measuring astigmatism; specifically, a device used to quantify differences in curvature or refractive power of the eye's cornea or lens.
The ophthalmologist used an astigmatometer to quantify the patient's corneal astigmatism before fitting contact lenses.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/06 14:36