✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

horizontal gaze nystagmus test

noun

horizontal gaze ny·​stag·​mus test
-ni-ˈstag-məs-
: a test for intoxication (as of a driver) based on observation of involuntary jerking movements of the eyes as they follow horizontal motion

Note: This test is one of several usually administered by police officers to determine the sobriety of a suspected drunk driver.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horizontal gaze nystagmus test.” Merriam-Webster.com Legal Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/legal/horizontal%20gaze%20nystagmus%20test. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!