Strabism
/ˈstræbɪzəm/noun
A medical condition in which the eyes are misaligned and do not point in the same direction.
Did you know?The term comes from Ancient Greek medical vocabulary, where strabos described something squinting, turned aside, or crooked—not anything supernatural.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
στραβός (strabós)
“Squinting, crooked, or turned aside”
Ancient Greek
Greek
στραβίζειν (strabízein)
“To squint or look obliquely”
Late Greek
Greek
στραβισμός (strabismós)
“Squinting or ocular deviation”
Late Antiquity
Latin
strabismus
“A squint or misalignment of the eyes”
17th Century
French
strabisme
“Strabismus or squinting”
Modern English
English
strabism
“Eye misalignment; a variant form of strabismus”
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