microphthalmos
|mi-cro-phthal-mos|
🇺🇸
/ˌmaɪkroʊˈfθælməs/
🇬🇧
/ˌmaɪkrəˈfθælmɒs/
abnormally small eye
Etymology
'microphthalmos' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'mikros' and 'ophthalmos', where 'mikros' meant 'small' and 'ophthalmos' meant 'eye'.
'microphthalmos' entered medical Latin as 'microphthalmus' and then came into English as 'microphthalmos' via Neo-Latin and modern medical usage.
Initially, it meant 'small eye', and this meaning has remained essentially the same in modern medical usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a congenital condition in which one or both eyeballs are abnormally small; often associated with other ocular structural abnormalities.
The newborn was diagnosed with unilateral microphthalmos affecting the left eye.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/26 18:26