Keratoconus
/ˌkɛr.ə.toʊˈkoʊ.nəs/noun
A progressive eye disorder in which the cornea thins and bulges into a cone shape.
Did you know?Keratoconus is built from Greek roots: keras/kerato- (“horn,” used for the cornea) and konos (“cone”), a rare case where the medical term describes the exact shape the eye takes.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
κέρας (keras), κέρατος (keratos)
“horn”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κῶνος (konos)
“cone, conical object”
Late Latin / Medical Latin
Latin
kerato- + -conus
“combining forms used in anatomical and medical terminology”
19th Century
English
keratoconus
“medical term for a cone-shaped deformity of the cornea”
Modern English
English
keratoconus
“a progressive corneal disorder causing thinning and conical bulging”