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myopia

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my⋅o⋅pi⋅a

[mahy-oh-pee-uh]
–noun
1. Ophthalmology. a condition of the eye in which parallel rays are focused in front of the retina, objects being seen distinctly only when near to the eye; nearsightedness (opposed to hyperopia ).
2. lack of foresight or discernment; obtuseness.
3. narrow-mindedness; intolerance.

Origin:
1685–95; < NL < Gk myōpía, equiv. to myōp- (s. of mýōps) near-sighted, lit., blinking ((ein) to shut + ps eye ) + -ia -ia
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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LasikPlus™ & Astigmatism
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Myopia - What Is It?
Read about myopia (nearsightedness) and how to correct and control it.
www.AllAboutVision.com
my·o·pi·a   (mī-ō'pē-ə)   
n.  
  1. A visual defect in which distant objects appear blurred because their images are focused in front of the retina rather than on it; nearsightedness. Also called short sight.

  2. Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning: "For Lorca, New York is a symbol of spiritual myopia" (Edwin Honig).


[Greek muōpiā, from muōps, muōp-, nearsighted : mūein, to close the eyes + ōps, eye; see okw- in Indo-European roots.]
my·op'ic (-ŏp'ĭk, -ō'pĭk) adj., my·op'i·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

myopia [(meye-oh-pee-uh)]

Nearsightedness. Myopia is a visual defect in which light that enters the eye is focused in front of the retina rather than directly on it, so that distant objects appear blurred. Myopia can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or LASIK.

Note: The term is often used to indicate an inability to see into the future: “The new policy is incredibly myopic, and puts future generations at a great disadvantage for the sake of a few short-term gains.”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

myopia 
1727, medical L., from Late Gk. myopia "near-sightedness," from myops "near-sighted," from myein "to shut" + ops (gen. opos) "eye."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: my·o·pia
Pronunciation: mI-'O-pE-&
Function: noun
: a condition in which the visual images come to a focus in front of theretina of the eye because of defects in the refractive media of the eye or of abnormal length of the eyeball resulting especially in defective vision of distant objects called alsonearsightedness; —compare ASTIGMATISM 2 EMMETROPIA
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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myopia my·o·pi·a (mī-ō'pē-ə)
n.

Abbr. M, My A visual defect in which distant objects appear blurred because their images are focused in front of the retina rather than on it; nearsightedness; shortsightedness.


my·op'ic (-ŏp'ĭk, -ō'pĭk) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
myopia   (mī-ō'pē-ə)  Pronunciation Key 


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A defect of the eye that causes light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it, resulting in an inability to see distant objects clearly. Myopia is often caused by an elongated eyeball or a misshapen lens. Also called nearsightedness. Compare hyperopia.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

myopia

visual abnormality in which the resting eye focuses the image of a distant object at a point in front of the retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue that lines the back and sides of the eye), resulting in a blurred image. Myopic eyes, which are usually longer than normal from front to rear, are somewhat more susceptible to retinal detachment than are normal or farsighted eyes. Severe myopia can be associated with other eye problems as well, most of which affect the retina or the choroid (i.e., pathologic blood vessel growth from the choroid).

Learn more about myopia with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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