astigmatism
astigmatism Lexical Profile
astigmatism Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A common refractive defect in the eye in which an irregular curvature of the cornea or lens prevents light rays from converging at a single focal point on the retina, resulting in blurred or distorted vision.
"The optometrist prescribed special cylindrical lenses to correct her mild astigmatism."
An optical aberration in a lens, mirror, or imaging system where rays of light propagating in perpendicular planes focus at different distances, preventing the formation of a sharp point image.
"Engineers carefully adjusted the electron microscope to minimize astigmatism in the magnetic lenses."
• Rhymes for astigmatism
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in 1849 by the English polymath William Whewell from the Greek prefix 'a-' (meaning 'without') and 'stigma' (genitive 'stigmatos', meaning 'a mark or point'), literally referring to an optical lens that fails to bring light rays to a single focal point.