Phacolysis
/ˌfækəˈlaɪsɪs/noun
The dissolution or enzymatic breakdown of the eye’s crystalline lens, especially in medical treatment or pathology.
Did you know?Ancient Greek phakos meant “lentil” and could also describe a lentil-shaped spot or object, inspiring the medical phaco- root for the eye’s lens.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
φακός (phakos)
“Lentil; a lentil-shaped spot or object”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λύσις (lysis)
“A loosening, release, dissolution, or breaking apart”
Hellenistic and Roman medical Greek
Greek
φακός + λύσις
“A compound meaning dissolution or loosening of a lens-like structure”
19th Century
Medical English
phaco-
“A medical combining form referring to the crystalline lens of the eye”
19th–20th Century
Medical English
phacolysis
“Dissolution or breakdown of the eye’s lens”
Modern English
English
phacolysis
“The pathological or therapeutic dissolution of the crystalline lens”