Colobous
/kəˈloʊbəs/noun
Having a congenital gap, cleft, or absence in a normally continuous body structure, especially an eye structure.
Did you know?The related genus name Colobus refers to colobus monkeys’ tiny, functionally reduced thumbs, interpreted by Greek-derived scientific vocabulary as a “mutilated” or “docked” feature.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
κόλοβος (kolobos)
“Mutilated, maimed, or docked; having a part cut short or missing”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κολοβόω (koloboō)
“To mutilate, shorten, or cut off a part”
19th Century
New Latin
coloboma
“A congenital cleft or gap in an anatomical structure”
19th Century
Scientific English
colobus
“A zoological genus named for the monkey’s reduced or absent-looking thumb”
Modern English
English
colobous
“Characterized by a congenital gap, cleft, or missing portion of a body structure”