xerophthalmia
noun
Forms xerophthalmias
- noun (ophthalmology) A condition due to a deficiency of vitamin A where the conjunctiva and cornea become dry. The condition starts with conjunctival xerosis and night blindness and progresses to corneal xerosis and, later, a severe condition called keratomalacia.
Synonyms
xerophthalmos xerophthalmus xeroma conjunctivitis arida
Etymology
From xero- + ophthalmia.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An abnormal dryness of the eyeball produced usually by long-continued inflammation and subsequent atrophy of the conjunctiva.
Etymology [L., fr. Gr. Ophthalmia.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “xerophthalmia”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details