trachoma

American  

[truh-koh-muh] / trəˈkoʊ mə /

noun

Ophthalmology.

1. a chronic, contagious infection of the conjunctiva and cornea, characterized by the formation of granulations and scarring and caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis.

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trachoma British  

/ trəˈkəʊmə, trəˈkɒmətəs, -ˈkəʊ- /

noun

1. a chronic contagious disease of the eye characterized by inflammation of the conjunctiva and cornea and the formation of scar tissue, caused by infection with the virus-like bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis

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trachoma Scientific  

/ trə-kō′mə /

1. A contagious disease of the conjunctiva and cornea, caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis and characterized by granules of inflammatory tissue. It is a major cause of blindness in Asia and Africa.

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Other Word Forms

• trachomatous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of trachoma

1685–95; < Greek trā́chōma roughness, equivalent to trāch ( ýs ) rough + -ōma -oma

Example Sentences

He made eliminating Guinea worm one of the Carter Center’s priorities, along with five other preventable diseases: river blindness, trachoma, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis and malaria.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2023

The most feared of all diseases was trachoma, an infection of the eyes that did not kill but left its victims blind.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

Although the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provided some money as a stopgap, the trachoma program had to cancel about 2,000 planned surgeries.

From New York Times • Oct. 19, 2022

Since 2002, tens of millions of people have been treated for trachoma — and spared blindness.

From Washington Post • Jul. 1, 2020

It diagnosed the C of conjunctivitis, the F of favus, and the T of trachoma.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides