axerophthol
|ax-er-oph-thol|
🇺🇸
/ˌæk.səˈræf.θɑl/
🇬🇧
/ˌæk.səˈrɒf.θɒl/
anti-dry-eye vitamin
Etymology
'axerophthol' originates from Neo-Latin/modern coinage based on Greek elements: Greek 'xēros' meaning 'dry' and 'ophthalmos' meaning 'eye', with the chemical suffix '-ol' indicating an alcohol (reflecting retinol's alcohol functional group).
'axerophthol' was coined in the early 20th century as a technical term for the 'anti-xerophthalmic' factor discovered to prevent xerophthalmia; the isolated compound was later identified as retinol and more commonly referred to as vitamin A.
Initially, it meant 'a substance preventing xerophthalmia (anti-dry-eye agent),' but over time it became identified specifically with the compound 'vitamin A' (retinol) and the archaic term fell out of general use.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an obsolete name for vitamin A (the compound retinol), especially used historically for substances that prevent or treat xerophthalmia (dryness of the eye).
Axerophthol was identified in early studies as the anti-xerophthalmic factor later called vitamin A.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/05 13:14