xerophthalmus
- noun
- /ˌzɪəroʊˈθæl.məs/
- Specialized
:
xerophthalmia
- The doctor diagnosed him with xerophthalmus after examining his extremely dry eyes.
Examples
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Vitamin A deficiency can lead to xerophthalmus in children living in developing countries.
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Patients suffering from severe xerophthalmus may experience blurred vision and eye discomfort.
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The patient was diagnosed with xerophthalmus last week.
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Symptoms of xerophthalmus include dryness and irritation.
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The doctor diagnosed him with xerophthalmus after examining his extremely dry eyes.
-
Vitamin A deficiency can lead to xerophthalmus in children living in developing countries.
-
Patients suffering from severe xerophthalmus may experience blurred vision and eye discomfort.
Synonyms
A severe dryness of the front of the eye often caused by not enough vitamin A
A very dry surface of the eye often caused by lack of vitamin A
A condition where the clear layer over the eye becomes very dry and irritated often from lack of vitamin A
Antonyms
How Dry
Surface Forms
Morphology
xerophthalmus = xerophthalmia (opaque) = xero + ophthalm + us
The term is built from Greek medical combining forms and a Latin nominal ending; these elements are not recognizable productive English morphemes to an average learner.
Etymology
Xerophthalmus comes from Greek parts xero- meaning 'dry' and -ophthalmus meaning 'eye', the same second part you see in ophthalmology, the study of the eye. So, xerophthalmus means 'dry eye' and is used for the medical condition of very dry eyes.