proptosis
/prɒpˈtəʊsɪs/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
προπτῶσις — a falling forward
Overview
Meaning Now
- The abnormal protrusion or displacement of an organ, most commonly the eyeball (exophthalmos).
Literal older meaning
a falling forward
Language path
Ancient Greek → New Latin → English
Earliest form
proptosis
Earliest period
19th century
Journey
The term is primarily used in clinical medicine, specifically ophthalmology and neurology, to describe a condition where the eyeball protrudes from the orbit. It is often a key sign in conditions like Graves' ophthalmopathy.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
προπτῶσις
“a falling forward”
From pro- 'forward' and ptōsis 'a falling'.
- New Latin
proptosis
“displacement of an organ”
Scientific Latin adaptation of the Greek term.
- Modern English
proptosis
“displacement of the eyeball”
Specialization in ophthalmological context.
Connections
Word parts
pro-
prefix
forward
ptosis
root
a falling or drooping
Related across languages
Ancient Greek
ptosis
a falling
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Related to proptosis
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.