ophthalmoscope

noun

oph·​thal·​mo·​scope äf-ˈthal-mə-ˌskōp How to pronounce ophthalmoscope (audio)
äp-
: an instrument for use in viewing the interior of the eye and especially the retina
ophthalmoscopic adjective
ophthalmoscopy noun

Examples of ophthalmoscope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This system combines two advanced technologies: the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (CSLO) and the Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS). William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 And the school gave him a stethoscope and a ophthalmoscope to thank him for the heart and vision in increasing his donation. The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 June 2021 Normally, a glaucoma screening requires a doctor’s visit and the use of an ophthalmoscope to view the fundus, the internal lining of the eye and measure the health of a patient’s retina. Nathan Percy, Orange County Register, 10 Feb. 2017 An ophthalmoscope image of diabetic retinopathy shows damage to the retina caused by diabetes. Eric Schmidt, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2017 So researchers at the University of Warwick in Coventry in the U.K. spent three years developing an ophthalmoscope that creates a high-quality digital image using fancy technology. Kristen Philipkoski, WIRED, 5 Mar. 2007 New equipment like x-ray machines, ophthalmoscopes, and cardiographs improved diagnostic and therapeutic options. Jeanne Kisacky, Smithsonian, 14 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ophthalmoscope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, from ophthalmo- ophthalmo- + -scope -scope, after ophthalmoscopie "examination of the eye"

Note: Word probably introduced by the physician A.-C. Maressal de Marsilly in "Notice sur l'ophthalmoscope de MM. Follin et Nachet," Annales d'oculistique, tome 28 (2e semestre 1852), pp. 76-86. Marsilly applied the word to a device developed by Eugène Follin and manufactured by Jean-Alfred Nachet, a modification of the original ophthalmoscope developed by Hermann von helmholtz. Helmholtz first described his invention in a monograph, Beschreibung eines Augen-Spiegels zur Untersuchung der Netzhaut im lebenden Auge (Berlin, 1851), using for the device a word Augenspiegel ("eye-mirror") that had been used earlier in German for eyeglasses. See James G. Ravin, "Sesquicentennial of the Ophthalmoscope," Archives of Ophthalmology, vol. 117, no. 12 (December 1, 1999), pp. 1634-68.

First Known Use

circa 1857, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ophthalmoscope was circa 1857

Dictionary Entries Near ophthalmoscope

Cite this Entry

“Ophthalmoscope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ophthalmoscope. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ophthalmoscope

noun
oph·​thal·​mo·​scope äf-ˈthal-mə-ˌskōp How to pronounce ophthalmoscope (audio)
äp-
: an optical instrument for viewing the inside of the eye

Medical Definition

ophthalmoscope

noun
oph·​thal·​mo·​scope äf-ˈthal-mə-ˌskōp How to pronounce ophthalmoscope (audio)
: an instrument for viewing the interior of the eye consisting of a concave mirror with a hole in the center through which the observer examines the eye, a source of light that is reflected into the eye by the mirror, and lenses in the mirror which can be rotated into the opening in the mirror to neutralize the refracting power of the eye being examined and thus make the image of the fundus clear
ophthalmoscopic adjective
ophthalmoscopically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on ophthalmoscope

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