lagophthalmos

9.9

A person who cannot fully close their eyelids

noun
/ˌlæɡəfˈθælmoʊs/

Specialized

: lagoftalmos

The patient developed lagophthalmos following facial nerve injury after surgery.

Examples

Sleeping with lagophthalmos can lead to dryness and irritation of the eye.
Treatment for lagophthalmos may include surgery or eye drops to protect the cornea.
Dr. Smith diagnosed lagophthalmos.
The patient suffers from lagophthalmos due to nerve damage.
Sleeping with lagophthalmos can lead to dryness and irritation of the eye.
The patient developed lagophthalmos following facial nerve injury after surgery.
Treatment for lagophthalmos may include surgery or eye drops to protect the cornea.

Surface Forms

lagophthalmos singular

lagophthalmoses plural

Morphology

lagophthalmos = lago + ophthalmos

The term is a technical compound of Greek combining forms (lago- + ophthalmos) that are not productive or recognizable to average learners, so the meaning cannot be derived from common English words.

Etymology

Lagophthalmos comes from Greek parts lagōs 'hare' and ophthalmos 'eye', and the same ophthalmos root is in ophthalmology 'study of the eye'. People once thought hares sleep with their eyes open, so lagophthalmos means being unable to fully close the eyelids.