ophthalmoscope

noun

oph·​thal·​mo·​scope äf-ˈthal-mə-ˌskōp How to pronounce ophthalmoscope (audio)
äp-
: an instrument for use in viewing the interior of the eye and especially the retina
ophthalmoscopic
(ˌ)äf-ˌthal-mə-ˈskä-pik How to pronounce ophthalmoscope (audio)
(ˌ)äp-
adjective
ophthalmoscopy
ˌäf-thəl-ˈmä-skə-pē How to pronounce ophthalmoscope (audio)
ˌäp-
-ˌthal-
noun

Examples of ophthalmoscope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This system combines two advanced technologies: the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (CSLO) and the Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS). — William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 And the school gave him a stethoscope and a ophthalmoscope to thank him for the heart and vision in increasing his donation. — The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 June 2021

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, from ophthalmo- ophthalmo- + -scope -scope, after ophthalmoscopie "examination of the eye"

Note: Word probably introduced by the physician A.-C. Maressal de Marsilly in "Notice sur l'ophthalmoscope de MM. Follin et Nachet," Annales d'oculistique, tome 28 (2e semestre 1852), pp. 76-86. Marsilly applied the word to a device developed by Eugène Follin and manufactured by Jean-Alfred Nachet, a modification of the original ophthalmoscope developed by Hermann von helmholtz. Helmholtz first described his invention in a monograph, Beschreibung eines Augen-Spiegels zur Untersuchung der Netzhaut im lebenden Auge (Berlin, 1851), using for the device a word Augenspiegel ("eye-mirror") that had been used earlier in German for eyeglasses. See James G. Ravin, "Sesquicentennial of the Ophthalmoscope," Archives of Ophthalmology, vol. 117, no. 12 (December 1, 1999), pp. 1634-68.

First Known Use

circa 1857, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ophthalmoscope was circa 1857

Rhymes for ophthalmoscope

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ophthalmoscope
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Cite this Entry

“Ophthalmoscope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ophthalmoscope. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

ophthalmoscope

noun
oph·​thal·​mo·​scope äf-ˈthal-mə-ˌskōp How to pronounce ophthalmoscope (audio)
äp-
: an optical instrument for viewing the inside of the eye

Medical Definition

ophthalmoscope

noun
oph·​thal·​mo·​scope äf-ˈthal-mə-ˌskōp How to pronounce ophthalmoscope (audio)
: an instrument for viewing the interior of the eye consisting of a concave mirror with a hole in the center through which the observer examines the eye, a source of light that is reflected into the eye by the mirror, and lenses in the mirror which can be rotated into the opening in the mirror to neutralize the refracting power of the eye being examined and thus make the image of the fundus clear
ophthalmoscopic
-ˌthal-mə-ˈskäp-ik How to pronounce ophthalmoscope (audio)
adjective
ophthalmoscopically
-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce ophthalmoscope (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on ophthalmoscope

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ophthalmoscope

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