Colobosis
/ˌkɒləˈbəʊsɪs/noun
A congenital condition involving a gap or missing portion of tissue, especially in the eye, caused by incomplete embryonic development.
Did you know?The same Greek root also helped name the colobus monkey, whose name refers to its characteristically shortened or apparently “mutilated” thumb.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kolobos
“Maimed, mutilated, or shortened”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kolobōsis
“Mutilation, maiming, or the act of shortening”
19th Century
Medical Greek
colobosis
“A congenital defect involving absence or clefting of bodily tissue”
19th Century
New Latin
coloboma
“A defect or fissure caused by missing tissue, especially in the eye”
Modern English
English
colobosis
“A congenital tissue-formation abnormality, particularly an ocular one”
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