nystagmus

American  

[ni-stag-muhs] / nɪˈstæg məs /

noun

1. a congenital or acquired persistent, rapid, involuntary, and oscillatory movement of the eyeball, usually from side to side.

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nystagmus British  

/ nɪˈstæɡməs /

noun

1. involuntary movement of the eye comprising a smooth drift followed by a flick back, occurring in several situations, for example after the body has been rotated or in disorders of the cerebellum

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Other Word Forms

• nystagmic adjective

Etymology

Origin of nystagmus

1815–25; < New Latin < Greek nystagmós nodding, derivative of nystázein to nod

Example Sentences

The positioning, also known as the Dix-Hallpike test, briefly re-triggers the vertigo, causing a rapid eye-flicking called nystagmus, which confirms that the patient is suffering from BPPV.

From Slate • Apr. 17, 2023

Although the baby's general development was excellent, he was shocked to see that the baby's eyes were opaque and they were jerking abnormally from side to side, a phenomenon whose medical name is nystagmus.

From Scientific American • Jan. 12, 2023

The clues include the inability of a person’s eyes to move smoothly back and forth, nystagmus after about 45 degrees and sustained eye jerking in a person’s peripheral vision, Carrado said.

From Washington Times • Apr. 8, 2018

Mr. Baig was born with two conditions, cone-rod dystrophy and nystagmus, that caused his vision loss.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2015

It’s hard—I have nystagmus, the result of a long-ago concussion.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen