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LASIK

American  
[ley-sik] / ˈleɪ sɪk /

noun

  1. a surgical procedure to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism in which a laser is used to remove inner layers of corneal tissue.


LASIK Scientific  
/ lāzĭk /
  1. Eye surgery in which the surface of the cornea is reshaped using a laser, performed to correct certain refractive disorders such as myopia.


LASIK Cultural  
  1. Acronym for la ser in si tu k eratotomy, a procedure for eye surgery that corrects near-sightedness by using a laser to cut a flap in the cornea so that it flattens out. The end result is a better focusing of incoming light on the back of the retina.


Etymology

Origin of LASIK

First recorded in 1960–65; acronym from las(er-assisted) i(n situ) k(eratomileusis); see keratomileusis ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Instead of carving away tissue like LASIK, the method temporarily softens the cornea so it can be gently molded into a new shape.

From Science Daily May 28, 2026

Ophthalmologists might offer surgical procedures to fix presbyopia, such as corneal inlays, LASIK, photorefractive keratectomy and lens implants.

From Washington Post Jul. 17, 2022

“When we’re doing the testing for LASIK, we do corneal topography, which maps the corneal curvature,” Rajpal said.

From Washington Times Mar. 19, 2018

If such a person’s distant vision is corrected with LASIK, will she still need reading glasses?

From Textbooks Aug. 12, 2015

Visual acuity correctable to 20/20; if there have been surgical procedures to the eye, such as LASIK, a year must have passed since the latest procedure.

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson

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