Optometry
/ˌɒpˈtɒm.ə.tri/noun
The practice or profession of examining eyes and prescribing corrective lenses.
Did you know?Optometry is built from Greek roots meaning “eye” and “measure,” so the word itself encodes the idea that vision can be quantified, tested, and corrected.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὀπτικός (optikós)
“relating to sight or vision”
Late Greek
Greek
ὄψις (ópsis)
“sight, appearance, or face”
Greek
Greek
μέτρον (métron)
“measure”
19th Century
English
optometry
“the measurement of vision, especially by means of instruments”
Modern English
English
optometry
“the profession concerned with eye examination and vision correction”