optometry

American  

[op-tom-i-tree] / ɒpˈtɒm ɪ tri /

noun

1. the practice or profession of examining the eyes, by means of suitable instruments or appliances, for defects in vision and eye disorders in order to prescribe corrective lenses or other appropriate treatment.

---

optometry British  

/ ˌɒptəˈmɛtrɪk, ɒpˈtɒmɪtrɪ /

noun

1. the science or practice of testing visual acuity and prescribing corrective lenses

---

Other Word Forms

• optometric
  adjective
• optometrical
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of optometry

First recorded in 1890–95; opto- + -metry

Example Sentences

“It’s an excellent review,” says Mark Rosenfield, a professor at the State University of New York College of Optometry, who was not involved in the study.

From Scientific American • Aug. 24, 2023

“You’ll see a bright light, and your vision will go pale,” says Teri K. Geist, an optometrist and trustee of the American Optometry Association.

From Washington Post • Nov. 27, 2022

“It felt like a part of me was missing,” said Dr. Van Der Linde, who in August 2015 began studying at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Optometry.

From New York Times • Oct. 29, 2021

Amy Moy, a professor at New England College of Optometry, and her husband, Erick Moy, a research scientist, live in Winchester, Massachusetts, with their 4-year-old daughter, Evie, who has Down syndrome.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 29, 2018

With this warning, Jean Thiriart, Secretary of the National Union of Belgium Opticians, is pressing for formation of a “European Optometry Society.”

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut