astigmatism

noun

astig·ma·tism | \ ə-ˈstig-mə-ˌti-zəm

Definition of astigmatism

1 : a defect of an optical system (such as a lens) causing rays from a point to fail to meet in a focal point resulting in a blurred and imperfect image

2 : a defect of vision due to astigmatism of the refractive system of the eye and especially to corneal irregularity

3 : distorted understanding suggestive of the blurred vision of an astigmatic person

Examples of astigmatism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Contact lenses can be worn to correct a variety of vision conditions, such as myopia, or nearsightedness; hyperopia, or farsightedness; and astigmatism. — Tiffany Yannetta, Seventeen, "Everything You Need to Know About Getting Contact Lenses," 26 Oct. 2018 But these astigmatism-correcting lenses can be implanted during traditional or laser surgery, Akpek said. — Sarah Gantz, Philly.com, "She didn't have $3,000 for cataract surgery - until an Inquirer reader stepped up," 21 Mar. 2018 Luckily, there are colored contacts for pretty much everyone, though some types, such as those for astigmatism, might be more expensive. 7. — Elizabeth Denton, Seventeen, "7 Things You Need To Know Before Trying Colored Contacts," 16 Oct. 2017 Of the overall cases, 69 percent arose from simple uncorrected refractive errors, which include myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism (blurry vision up close, far away or both). — By Sue Arrowsmith, miamiherald, "Children’s vision problems often go undetected, then get worse," 24 July 2017 Breaking: Easter Bunny able to afford glasses to correct astigmatism, thanks to continued coverage under Obamacare. — Diana Bruk, Marie Claire, "The 16 Funniest Tweets About This Year's White House Easter Egg Roll," 17 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'astigmatism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for astigmatism

a- entry 2 + Greek stigmat-, stígma "mathematical point, mark, tattoo mark" (more usually stigmḗ in this sense; referring to the point on the retina at which light rays converge in a normal eye) + -ism — more at stigma

Note: The term astigmatism was introduced by the British astronomer George Biddell Airy (1801-92), who performed a pioneering measurement and description of an astigmatism in his own eye ("On a Peculiar Defect of the Eye and a Mode of Correcting It," Transactions of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, vol. 2 [1827], pp. 267-71). Airy did not use the word in the article, however, and it does not seem to appear under his name until a much later article on the same subject, "On a Change in the State of an Eye affected with a Mal-formation [Read May 25, 1846]," Transactions of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, vol. 8 (1849), pp. 361-62. In the latter article Airy describes "the nature of the effect" as "a geometrical phenomenon, to which the term astigmatism was very happily affixed by the present Master of Trinity College." The "Master of Trinity College," Cambridge, was the clergyman and polymath William Whewell (1794-1866), to whom a number of other scientific neologisms are credited. The word was evidently in oral circulation prior to Airy's use of it in print; in 1831, an unsigned article in The British Critic, Quarterly Theological Review, and Eccesiastical Record (vol. 9, p. 82) mentions astigmatism, "employing a word which we believe Professor Airy is in the habit of using in his lectures on this subject [optics]." For details on Airy and astigmatism, see John R. Levene, "Sir George Biddell Airy, F.R.S. (1801-1892) and the Discovery and Correction of Astigmatism," Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London, Vol. 21, No. 2 (December, 1966), pp. 180-199.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for astigmatism

astigmatism

noun

English Language Learners Definition of astigmatism

medical : a problem with the eye that prevents a person from seeing clearly

See the full definition for astigmatism in the English Language Learners Dictionary

astigmatism

noun

astig·ma·tism | \ ə-ˈstig-mə-ˌtiz-əm

Medical Definition of astigmatism

1 : a defect of an optical system (as a lens) causing rays from a point to fail to meet in a focal point resulting in a blurred and imperfect image

2 : a defect of vision due to astigmatism of the refractive system of the eye and especially to corneal irregularity — compare emmetropia, myopia

Keep scrolling for more

astigmatism

Definition of astigmatism

Examples of astigmatism in a Sentence

First Known Use of astigmatism

History and Etymology for astigmatism

English Language Learners Definition of astigmatism

Medical Definition of astigmatism

WORD OF THE DAY