Each definition is related to the use of the word in ophthalmology. Some of the words could be applicable to other disciplines.
| Accommodation | the change in the refractive power of the eye seeing at different distances |
|---|---|
| Acorea | no pupil |
| Adnexa | appendages of the eye (eyelids, conjunctiva, extraocular muscles and glands of the eye) |
| Amaurosis | blindness without visible ocular lesions |
| Amblyopia | reduced vision in an eye which otherwise is normal |
| Ametropia | imperfection in the refractive power of the eye |
| Anisocoria | pupils of different size |
| Anisometropia | difference in refractive error of the eyes |
| Ankyloblepharon | adhesion between the margins of the eyelids |
| Anophthalmia | no eyeball; also called anophthalmos |
| Aphakia | no lens |
| Aqueous flare | abnormal visibility of a beam of light as it passes through anterior chamber; due to increase in protein content of aqueous humor |
| Asteroid hyalosis | spherical and stellate opacities in the vitreous; made of calcium-lipid combinations |
| Astigmatism | different degrees of refraction in the various meridians of the cornea |
| Blepharitis | inflammation of the eyelids |
| Blepharo- | prefix referring to eyelid |
| Blepharochalasis | relaxation of the skin of the eyelid |
| Blepharophimosis | narrowing of the palpebral fissure; eye cannot be opened to normal extent |
| Blepharospasm | spasm of the orbicularis oculi muscle resulting in forceful closure of the eyelids |
| Blind spot | corresponds to the optic disk which has no photoreceptors |
| Bulla | a bleb or blister; plural is bullae |
| Buphthalmia | enlargement of the eye, especially in glaucoma; also called buphthalmos |
| Canthotomy | incision of the canthus |
| Canthus | the angle formed by the meeting of the upper and lower eyelids; specified as lateral or temporal, and medial or nasal |
| Cataract | pathological opacity of the lens |
| Chalazion | granuloma of the Meibomian glands; plural is chalazia |
| Chemosis | edema of the conjunctiva |
| Chorio- | prefix or suffix referring to choroid |
| Chorioretinitis | inflammation of the choroid and retina |
| Choristoma | a mass of tissue that is normal histologically, but not for the site in which it is located |
| Cloquet's canal | space where primary vitreous was; passes through the middle of the vitreous from the optic disk to the lens; also called the hyaloid canal |
| Coloboma | a congenital fissure or cleft of any part of the eye or eyelid |
| Conjunctivitis | inflammation of the conjunctiva |
| Coria- | prefix or suffix referring to pupil |
| Corectopia | abnormal position of the pupil |
| Cyclitis | inflammation of the ciliary body |
| Cyclo- | prefix or suffix referring to ciliary body |
| Cyclocryotherapy | freezing of the ciliary body, usually as a focal application in the control of glaucoma |
| Cyclodialysis | tearing away of the ciliary body from the sclera; also done surgically to manage glaucoma |
| Cyclodiathermy | application of heat to the ciliary body, usually to cause focal destruction in the control of glaucoma |
| Cycloplegia | paralysis of the ciliary muscles resulting in loss of accommodation |
| Cycloplegic | a drug that temporarily paralyzes the ciliary muscles; these drugs also cause pupillary dilatation due to iris sphincter paralysis |
| Dacryo- | prefix referring to tears or lacrimal gland |
| Dacryoadenitis | inflammation of the lacrimal gland |
| Dacryocystitis | inflammation of the lacrimal sac |
| Dark adaptation | the adjustment of the retina and iris (pupil) to decreased illumination |
| Dermoid | a congenital mass (choristoma) consisting of skin and its dermal appendages |
| Descemetocele | protrusion of Descemet's membrane through the floor of an ulcer |
| Diopter | unit of refractive power |
| Diplopia | double vision |
| Distichia | one eyelash of a second row of eyelashes; plural is distichiae |
| Distichiasis | the presence of two rows of cilia on one eyelid |
| Districhiasis | more than one cilium growing from a follicle |
| Dyscoria | irregular pupil shape |
| Ectasia | dilatation or distention with thinning, particularly of the sclera or cornea |
| Ectropion | eversion of the eyelid |
| Emmetropia | no refractive errors |
| Endophthalmitis | inflammation of the inner structures of the eye |
| Enophthalmia | abnormal recession of the eye into the orbit; also called enophthalmos |
| Entropion | inversion of the eyelid |
| Enucleation | removal of the eyeball |
| Epiphora | overflow of tears onto the face |
| Esophoria | tendency of the eyes to deviate medially |
| Esotropia | manifest inward deviation of the eyes (crossed eyes); convergent strabismus |
| Evisceration | removal of the contents of the eye with retention of the fibrous coat |
| Exenteration | removal of the eyeball and all soft tissues within the bony orbit |
| Exophoria | tendency of the eyes to deviate laterally |
| Exophthalmia | abnormal protrusion of the eyeball; also called exophthalmos |
| Exotropia | manifest outward deviation of one or both eyes; divergent strabismus |
| Extorsion | tilting of upper part of the vertical meridian of the eye away from the midline of the face |
| Far point | the point at which an object must be placed to have a sharp image on the retina of the unaccommodated eye |
| Farsightedness | hyperopia |
| Floaters | particles in the vitreous |
| Fornix | the junction of the palpebral and bulbar conjunctivas |
| Fovea | small depression in the macula adapted for most acute vision in many primates, birds and fish |
| Freckle | increased melanin content of a cell |
| Fundus | the internal aspect of the ocular posterior segment, seen with an ophthalmoscope |
| Fusion | the combining of images received by both eyes into one image |
| Glaucoma | pathological increase in intraocular pressure |
| Gonioscopy | examination of the drainage angle |
| Granula iridica | another name for corpus nigra |
| Hamartoma | abnormal growth or malformation of tissue normally found in that site |
| Haw | non-veterinary term for the third eyelid |
| Hemeralopia | day blindness |
| Hemianopia | loss of about one-half of the visual field |
| Heterochromia iridis | difference in color of the irides or of one iris |
| Heterophoria | tendency of the eyes to deviate |
| Heterotropia | manifest deviation of the eye in any direction in which binocular fixation is impossible |
| Hippus | spontaneous rhythmic movements of the iris |
| Hordeolum, external | infection of the glands of Moll or Zeis; stye |
| Hordeolum, internal | Meibomian gland infection |
| Hyal- | prefix referring to vitreous |
| Hyalitis | inflammation of the vitreous body |
| Hydrophthalmia | marked enlargement of the eye from glaucoma; also called hydrophthalmos |
| Hyp- | prefix referring to anterior chamber |
| Hypermetropia | hyperopia |
| Hyperopia | refractive error in which the focal point of light rays from a distant object is behind the retina (farsightedness) |
| Hypertropia | manifest upward deviation of the eyes |
| Hyphema | blood in the anterior chamber |
| Hypophoria | tendency of the eyes to deviate downward |
| Hypopyon | pus in the anterior chamber |
| Injection | congestion of blood vessels |
| Inner | relative to an imaginary point centrally located within the eye; closer to this imaginary point |
| Intorsion | tilting of the upper part of the vertical meridian of the eye toward the midline of the face |
| Iridencleisis | incarceration of a portion of the iris in a wound at the limbus, either accidentally or as an operative procedure for management of glaucoma |
| Irido- | prefix referring to iris |
| Iridocyclitis | inflammation of the iris and ciliary body; also known as anterior uveitis |
| Iridocycloplegia | paralysis of the iris sphincter and ciliary muscles resulting in pupillary dilatation and loss of accommodation |
| Iridodonesis | vibration of the iris with movement of the eye, indicating loss of lens support |
| Iris bombé | bowing forward of the iris due to build up of aqueous humor in the posterior chamber (due to total or substantial posterior synechia) |
| Keratectomy | excision of various parts of the cornea |
| Keratitis | inflammation of the cornea |
| Kerato- | prefix referring to cornea |
| Keratoconjunctivitis sicca | dry cornea and conjunctiva as a result of lacrimal gland dysfunction |
| Keratoconus | cone-shaped protrusion of the cornea |
| Keratoglobus | enlarged and globular cornea |
| Keratoplasty | corneal grafting |
| Lacrimation | production of tears, especially in excess |
| Lagophthalmos | inability to close the eyelids completely |
| Lenticonus | conical projection of the anterior or posterior surface of the lens |
| Lentiglobus | globular projection of the anterior or posterior surface of the lens |
| Leukocoria | lightening of the pupil reflection so that it looks white to tan rather than almost black |
| Leukoma | a white corneal opacity; adherent leukoma - iris adherent to cornea |
| Limbus | boundary between the cornea and sclera |
| Macula | a small spot or colored zone; a moderate corneal scar; region of high cone density in some primate retinas |
| Macula lutea | the small, avascular region of the retina surrounding the fovea |
| Megalocornea | congenitally enlarged cornea |
| Microphthalmia | abnormally small eyeball; also called microphthalmos |
| Miosis | constriction of the pupil |
| Miotic | medication causing miosis |
| Mydriasis | dilatation of the pupil |
| Mydriatic | medication causing mydriasis |
| Myopia | refractive error in which the point of focus for rays of light from distant objects is in front of the retina (nearsightedness) |
| Near point | the point at which an object must be placed to have a sharp image on the retina of a fully accommodated eye |
| Nearsightedness | myopia |
| Nebula | slight haziness to the cornea; gray opacity of the cornea |
| Nevus | melanotic tissue consisting of an aggregation of melanin containing cells |
| Nyctalopia | night blindness |
| Nystagmus | an involuntary, rapid movement of the eyeball, either horizontal, rotary or vertical |
| Ocular anterior segment | the anterior portion of the globe (cornea, iris and anterior sclera) |
| Ocular posterior segment | that portion of the eye posterior to the iris |
| Oculist | ophthalmologist |
| OD | abbreviation for right eye (oculus dexter, Latin) |
| Ophthalmologist | a doctor versed or expert in ophthalmology (study of the eye) |
| Optometrist | person trained to correct vision disturbances related to refractive errors |
| OS | abbreviation for left eye (oculus sinister, Latin) |
| OU | abbreviation for both eyes or each eye (oculus uterque, Latin) |
| Outer | relative to an imaginary point centrally located within the eye; further from this imaginary point |
| Pannus | superficial vascularization of the cornea |
| Panophthalmitis | inflammation involving all coats of the eye |
| Penetrating | a wound entering an ocular structure, but not going completely through it |
| Perforating | a wound going completely through an ocular structure |
| Phako- | prefix referring to lens |
| Photophobia | sensitivity to and discomfort from light |
| Phthisis bulbi | shrunken and atrophic globe |
| Pinguecula | proliferation of bulbar conjunctiva near limbus, especially medially, seen as yellow spot in elderly people |
| Plasmoid aqueous | fibrin in the anterior chamber |
| Polycoria | more than one pupil, each having sphincter muscle |
| Presbyopia | loss of accommodation as a result of aging |
| Proptosis | forward protrusion of the eyeball, usually of traumatic origin |
| Pseudopterygium | conjunctival scar attached to the cornea |
| Pterygium | triangular thickening of bulbar conjunctiva advancing onto the cornea with apex toward pupil |
| Ptosis | drooping of the upper eyelid |
| Pupil | the opening in the center of the iris |
| Refraction | deviation in the course of rays of light when passing from one transparent medium into another of different density; determination of refractive errors of the eye |
| Refractive error | ametropia |
| Refractive media | the transparent parts of the eye having refractive power |
| Relucent | reflecting light |
| Retinoscope | a device for the objective determination of refractive error |
| Retroillumination | to illuminate from behind by reflecting light from a deeper structure |
| Scotoma | a blind or partially blind zone in the visual field |
| Sicca | dry |
| Squint | strabismus or heterotropia |
| Strabismus | manifest deviation of the eye in which binocular fixation is impossible; squint; heterotropia |
| Staphyloma | ectasia of cornea or sclera, which is lined by uveal tissue |
| Stye | infection of glands of Zeis or Moll; external hordeolum |
| Symblepharon | adhesion of one or both eyelids to the eyeball |
| Synchysis | softening or liquefaction of the vitreous |
| Synechia | adhesion of the iris to cornea (anterior s), or lens (posterior s); plural is synechiae |
| Syneresis | the process of liquefaction of the vitreous |
| Tarso- | prefix referring to eyelids |
| Tarsorrhaphy | suturing together of the eyelids |
| Tonography | measurement of ability of aqueous humor to leave eye |
| Tonometry | measurement of intraocular pressure |
| Transillumination | passing a light beam through a structure |
| Trichiasis | normally placed, but abnormally directed cilium that causes trauma to the eyeball |
| Umbraculum | another name for corpus nigra |
| Uveitis | inflammation of the uveal tract |
| Visual field | the region in space which can be seen without shifting the gaze; can apply to that of both eyes or of each eye separately |
| Walleye | white discoloration of iris |
| Zonulolysis | chemical lysis of the zonules to facilitate removal of the lens during cataract surgery |